Mishap by Mug
by EmmaLennyEddie
Summary: When Snotlout's jealousy begins to take on an obsession, he formulates a plan that was supposed to end Hiccup's newly-founded relationship with Astrid. But when things go too far, Hiccup and Astrid will now have to worry about becoming teenage parents.
1. The Mishap

**Author's Note: Hello my fellow Fanrats! Man, it sure is nice to step out of my beloved fandom and embrace the new. Know what I'm saying? Of course you do. You're all geniuses. So, this is my first, "How to Train Your Dragon" story, so naturally, I'm extremely nervous about what people say about it. When I first entered the fandom, I was surprised to see how little stories there were about teenage pregnancy. So, being the sadistic Fanrat that I am, I decided to take on the challenge myself. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this. **

_Summary: When Snotlout's jealousy begins to take on an obsession, he formulates a plan that was supposed to end Hiccup's relationship with Astrid. But when things go too far, the newly-found couple will now have to worry about becoming teenage parents. _

**Rated T for safety. **

**Note: Don't worry, there are no such thing as swear words in my world.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise, no matter how many times I put it on my Christmas wish list. Curse you Santa...**

**...**

Snotlout could only watch in lucid shock as his life-time crush tugged his scrawny cousin close so that their lips were locked. He felt himself stiffen, his hands unconsciously tightening around the coarse horns of his dragon, whom he had decided to call Hookfang. Nothing could be done, so he watched helplessly as his cousin's emerald eyes lowered to a half-lidded stance, and he mumbled something that Snotlout couldn't pick up on. Whatever it was, it could not dulcify the upsurge of jealousy that now stuffed him to the core. His face burned with an intense embarrassment at the fact that he, one of the strongest teen Vikings on Berk, had been upstaged by _Hiccup_, his less-than-mediocre cousin. Never mind that he had taken down a monster a mere two weeks before.

So what in Thor's name just happened?! Astrid couldn't have honestly kissed that...that _fishbone_ of a Viking! Did fearless Astrid Hofferson, the one who personified the term "Viking" in every way possible, just subject herself to kiss someone who was too far mundane? She stood at five feet and five inches and her slender form harvested pounds of muscle! While she was physically Viking, Hiccup was indeed her opposite. So why would she even bother with him? The audacity!

A chagrined Snotlout's jaw went slack in total bewilderment, his chest tightening. It was ridiculous. So what if Hiccup had defeated the Red Death? No battle on Berk could successfully alter the authenticity of Hiccup. With one less leg, he remained a scrawny, weak little runt just as he had always been. So why the sudden informality on Astrid's part? This was the girl who bashed Snotlout for merely _looking_ at her in a flirtatious manner. It wasn't fair.

Snotlout glowered at his star-struck cousin for only a moment longer before he growled and spurned. "Let's go Hookfang," he huffed, turning his nose in the air. "I've got better things to do than hang around and watch these idiots."

But the Monstrous Nightmare seemed to have other plans. The dragon snorted out a cloud of ash in defiance and then unceremoniously bucked the offending hulk of a boy off of his scaly backside. Snotlout cried out as he landed hard in the dirt, tremors of pain shooting up his spine. "Hookfang! Look who you're hurting, you stupid lizard! You listen to me!" He snarled before gingerly hauling himself up. The scarlet reptile let out a throaty hiss that sounded suspiciously close to human snickering before darting away, smugly illuminating himself in flame.

Upon the assumption that nobody had witnessed his recent pratfall, (being much too preoccupied with the new hero of Berk) Snotlout lightly kicked at the grassy ground with his boot and scorned. "Stupid dragon. Can't even count on him to get me away from..._that_." He glanced back to Hiccup and the surrounding group of Vikings that were busy congratulating him on his victory, apologizing for their doubtfulness, and complimenting his bravery, strength, and persistence. The young male was admittedly bashful about the entirety of the praise, especially after the kiss. Snotlout sneered mockingly at his cousin's shy demeanor. If he were the hero, you bet he'd be soaking up said praise like a sea sponge. The _now_ just seemed so out of place.

To cap his jaundice, Snotlout took to indifference. "Yada, yada," He scoffed inwardly, "Who cares that _he_ ended the war?" He sighed. Alright, even HE understood the irrationality of that question, but anger seemed to dim his common sense a tad. "I was there too! I was on the Gods-forsaken thing, bashing its eye in with a shield!" He spluttered, "H-How cool was that? Doesn't that deserve a little attention?"

"Who're you talking to?" A young voice chirped, snapping him out of his thoughts. Snotlout glanced down and groaned. Gustav.

"Myself."

"...Oh. Well, I'm off to go see Hiccup! That guy's gotta be some sorta relative of Freya if he can survive an explosion that big! See ya, Snotlout!" One wave later and the much younger Viking was up the hill in an instant to join his place in the crowd.

Silence. He groaned and watched with annoyance as Hiccup and Astrid began to look eye-to-eye. "Apparently not," he muttered with contempt. "Idiots. They're just being polite because he lost a leg."

Just one more thing to be jealous of. After all, it was only cool if one got a scar out of it.

...

Snotlout was still unjustifiedly exasperated that night; conspicuous enough that it caught the eye of a meticulous friend of his.

"You seem uncharacteristically quiet tonight," Fishlegs pointedly announced over the noisy chatter of everyone present. Namely, all of the villagers. They were gathered in the Great Hall for a celebratory dinner of the awakening of their new favorite tribe member, eager to see or even speak with him. Most of the teenagers had settled at an empty table near the corner of the hall after receiving a plentiful leg of mutton and quality chicken broth, which was a much larger portion than they usually received. The Dark Ages were rough on the stomach. "Lighten up. We finally got rid of that-that _terrifying_ monster and Hiccup survived a ball of fire the size of Midgard! Try to enjoy yourself for once. I-I mean, have you tasted this mutton?" The husky boy asked pleasantly, taking a hearty bite of his food.

"Pfft." Snotlout picked at his leg of mutton with disinterest. "Whatever."

The male Thortsen twin seated across from the gloomy boy noticed his unhappy expression and took immediate advantage over the situation. "Heh. Looks like Snotlout's jelly," Tuffnut snickered before taking a huge bite out of his leg of mutton. "Sorry sucker," the blonde mumbled through a mouthful of food. "Can't all be heroes, huh?"

Tuffnut's twin sister, Ruffnut, cackled under her breath and gave her twin brother an enthusiastic high-five. "True that."

"Shuddup," Snotlout growled in annoyance. "And don't say _jelly, _it's degrading. ...Wait, _who_ thinks I'm jealous?" he asked suddenly. He shot an extremely intimidating glare at the other male, who picked up on the danger signal and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Anyone. With a brain. Not me. But uh, Hiccup might," Tuffnut suggested with a smirk. "Astrid too...and Butt-elf, here," He gestured to his sister, who punched him roughly.

"Good, I've got a brain," she hissed. "Unlike you."

"OW! ...Uh, and then there's Bucket," Tuffnut continued while tenderly rubbing his shoulder, "Mulch. Chief. Your dad. Uh..." He paused, watching as the other boy's glare grew more heated with each passing name, but continued nonetheless. "Oh, and then there's Phlegma...Gustav...Gobber...Ack...Fishlegs..."

Snotlout threw Fishlegs a scary look, and the larger boy stiffened. "Hey, don't look at me," he whimpered, twiddling his fingers nervously. "It's probably just _envy_! Envy and jealousy mean two different-...Oh. Then, in that case..."

"Envy AND jealousy?! Well, now we KNOW that everyone knows!" Ruffnut sniggered nastily at Snotlout's cherry-red face.

"Oh, who cares?" He dismissed, staring at his plate in distaste. "I don't care! I don't! Who said I did?!"

Fishlegs bit his lip. "You're being _really_ defensive, 'Lout..."

"NO I'm NOT! Besides, just because Hiccup defeated the Red Death doesn't mean that he isn't the scrawny little dork that he was before."

Fishleg's eyes widened considerably at Snotlout's words. "Whoa," Tuffnut exclaimed in surprise, raising his eyebrows. "You ARE jelly, aren't you? Or was it envy...?"

"Neither!" The boy denied with a shout, shoving his untouched plate of food away in anger. "I'm outta here. I've got better things to do than sit and eat with you losers!"

"Like what?" Tuffnut asked with a smirk. He rested a chin on his palm. "Kiss your biceps? Because you'll never kiss Astrid, that's for sure."

Snotlout turned to fire back a smart retort, but his jumbled thoughts fell rather flat. Nobody bothered to stop the teenager as he stomped out of the bustling Great Hall, growling and cursing all the way, his face pinker than a rose.

Fishlegs, who had been tensed during the entirety of Snotlout's presence, let out an exhale as soon as the large doors shut behind the infuriated teen. "Wow. I have NEVER seen Snotlout so upset, huh guys? ...Uh, guys?" The twins were hardly listening, readily preoccupied with another session of sibling bickering over the definitions of envy and jealousy. The rather heavy-set boy sighed and stared at his food. "I just hope he doesn't take it out on Hiccup. The last thing he needs i-"

He looked up with a start, realizing something. "Hey, where _is_ Hiccup? And Astrid for that matter?"

...

"Stupid Tuffnut," Snotlout muttered under his breath as he stomped through the village plaza, still infuriated over the whole predicament. "Stupid Fishlegs. I'm not jealous. I'm NOT!"

"_Sure you are_," a voice in the back of mind whispered.

Snotlout winced. "No, I'm not," he insisted to himself, kicking at a small pail as he trudged through the village. It was a clear night, not a cloud in the sky, providing a beautiful view of the full moon. Shame that he couldn't enjoy it.

"I've never been jealous of Hiccup and I'll never be jealous of Hiccup," he repeated to himself. What was this? Release? Reassurance? He wasn't certain. "The only time where I would ever be even _remotely_ envious of him would be because of... Astrid."

Her name felt sweet on his tongue. Heh, even the meaning of her name was in sync to her physical being. Divine beauty. He sighed dreamily, nearing the forge where Gobber and Hiccup worked, reminding him of his situation. "How in the Gods' names did he one-up me like that?" He shuddered. It felt so wrong to even think that Hiccup... His eyes narrowed to slits. Because of him, he and Astrid would most likely never end up together. Because of him, she now had her attention centered on a runt.

"-...strid?"

Snotlout froze, and then frowned. Was that Hiccup? He stilled, listening intently until the muffled voice reached his ears. It _was_ Hiccup!

What was he saying? Of course it was! He knew that nasal drone anywhere. It sounded like it was coming from the Forge.

With remarkable stealth, the young teen quietly neared the small building. If he squinted, he could make out small rays of light emerging from the teeny cracks of the wooden walls coming from the inside. Pressing his ear against the walls, he could just make out the sound of his cousin's voice and... Astrid's.

Normally he wouldn't dare sneak up on the two because of Hiccup's pet dragon, Toothless, who'd sniff him out in a minute. But oddly enough, Hiccup had left his dragon back at home. Two guesses why.

"Hmph." He gritted his teeth and unconsciously clenched his fists. "Of course that weirdo would ditch his own celebration." He remained silent, trying to make out with they were saying, but unfortunately couldn't. With a heavy exhale of infuriation, he leaned back against the wall and gazed up at the sky.

"Why him?" He wondered silently for the hundredth time, crossing his muscular arms. "Why couldn't it have been me? Why not? I mean, I'm not a reader but I've got the brawn- something he doesn't have!" He smirked for a moment, considering for a moment.

"Heh, maybe I could teach him a lesson. Rough him up a bit." He frowned. "Nah. As much as I hate to say it, that's too predictable for me."

He bit the inside of his cheek as he pondered over what exactly he could do. "I've got to do something clever. Think. Think." He lightly tapped his iron helmet for emphasis. "What would someone like Hiccup do in this type of situation?" He snorted at the ridiculousness of comparing himself to his cousin. "Forget that. What would..." He trailed off. "What would Loki do?" He grinned at this concept and then at a moment of madness, the idea came to him. "He'd probably ruin their relationship." He smiled at the thought of Astrid getting angry at Hiccup and leaving him.

But what would push her to the point of abandoning him? Snotlout wracked his brain for an idea-anything that could get Astrid upset at his cousin-anything at all! But at first, all he could think of was his cousin's scrawniness and vulnerability-things that Astrid didn't seem to mind. He grimaced.

There must be something about Hiccup that she wouldn't like. Maybe something he could do. Not an appearance, but an action. And then, the plan came to him. He knew exactly what would push her over the edge, what would make her hate Hiccup forever.

"Oh no, this is too good," he whispered, turning to look at the entrance of the Forge with a mischievous grin. Just the thought of his cousin without Astrid by his side made him squirm with delight. He made up his mind right then and there, that he'd go through with the plan. Sure, it was outrageously inappropriate and incredible risky, that was what being a Viking was all about, right?

...

"So, I haven't seen you here all that much," Astrid said casually, leaning against the rickety old table that was Gobber's desk. "Blacksmithing's hard work, huh?" In her hand she held a large mug of water, nearly empty. She was the one that had suggested they spend some time alone, away from the hustle and bustle of the village.

Hiccup was beside her, and he shrugged nonchalantly, smiling. "It's alright once you get used to it. Crafting, handling the sharp weapons, Gobber yelling your name for all of Asgard to hear..." He cracked a grin and Astrid chuckled.

"Well, I doubt he'll be yelling at you now that you're the hero of Berk and all," she suggested with a smirk, knowing how he was uncomfortable by the prospect of it all.

Sure enough, he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Aw c'mon," he mumbled humbly, "I couldn't have done it without you guys. And it's not like I came out unscathed..."

From outside, Snotlout rolled his eyes.

Astrid snorted and lightly punched his arm, causing him to grin sheepishly. "Yeah, keep that up, Hiccup. You're not fooling anyone. Say, how's your leg doing, anyway? Does it still hurt?" Her ocean blue eyes drifted to the metal contraption that now took the place of his missing limb.

"Naw," he dismissed with a little wave. "It's a little sore at some points, but that's to be expected, right?"

"Right. You're tougher than most," she teased, causing his face to turn an even darker scarlet. "Well," she smiled warmly and held up her mug to toast, "To our defeat of the Red Death!" He beamed happily and gently clinked his mug against her's before taking a swig.

"To OUR defeat of the Red Death, indeed!" A came the chirp of a familiar voice, abruptly entering the atmosphere and almost causing Hiccup to almost choke on his drink. There Snotlout entered, his hands casually locked behind his back as he approached the other teens.

"Oh, hey Snotlout. What're you doing here?" Hiccup asked casually, trying to hide his disappointment that he and Astrid's moment had been interrupted. "Shouldn't you be up at the Great Hall? Celebrating?" He hinted.

His cousin's eyes narrowed just the slightest.

"I could ask you the same thing," Snotlout retorted haughtily, bringing his meaty hands out from behind his back. Astrid craned her neck to catch a glimpse of what Snotlout was holding, which were two simple mugs, filled to the brim with some sort of drink. "What are you two doing here?"

Astrid scoffed and flipped her bangs out of her cyan eyes. "Because it concerns you?" She asked sarcastically. Snotlout chuckled and thrust the two mugs forward.

"Oh, thanks. What're these for?" Hiccup asked with slight suspicion, taking one.

Snotlout shrugged innocently and avoided their piercing gazes. "Gobber asked me to give them to you," he lied. Hiccup peered into the mug, as did Astrid. They both looked at Snotlout for an explanation. "As a thank you, I guess," he explained, trying to suppress a chill expression. "Not that you two did anything more heroic than I did," he taunted, flexing his large muscles.

Astrid pressed a hand over her mouth, desperately trying to contain the bile while Hiccup rolled his emerald eyes. "Yes, well, thank you for that, cousin-of-little-decency."

"Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick," the blonde muttered, causing Snotlout to chuckle.

"Oh, Astrid," he flirted. "You know you can't resist all this." He gestured to himself and flexed his biceps once more, causing her to grimace.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll limp along," the girl retched in disgust, taking a large swig of the drink Snotlout had given her without further questioning. Hm. It tasted rather sweet. Was it some sort of juice? Hiccup gave Snotlout one last look of suspicion before taking a sip of his own drink. Well, if it was from Gobber... Snotlout watched intently as the two finished off their drinks and smirked.

"I guess I'll leave you two alone to whatever...you two were doing," he suggested, backing away as the couple stared at him in confusion. "Yep..." He trailed off, and fled the smithy, not wanting raise their suspicion any higher.

The two teenagers stared after him for a moment before glancing at each other and shrugging. "Nothing unusual there," Astrid excused.

It was all Snotlout could take him laughing out loud. Once he had exited the Forge, he ran around the back and peeked through a crack of the wall to further observe the two. This was it.

Little did they know, he had given them a rather strong elixir that only adult Vikings would consume. It was actively used on seriously wounded people that made them all loopy before Gothi would work on them. And those patients were only given a small dose. Astrid and Hiccup had just drunk a whole mug. They'd be pretty incoherent in a matter of minutes, which was exactly what Snotlout wanted. He wanted them drunk and disorderly, but most importantly, alone.

So far, Astrid had been rubbing her forehead, complaining of feeling rather woozy. Hiccup admitted to feeling the same, swaying a bit as the stuff began to kick in. Snotlout watched in satisfaction as Hiccup asked if she was okay.

When he only got a moan in response, he lowered her to the floor. Then suddenly, a big smile appeared on the teenage girl's face.

"You...You okay, Astrid?" He breathed, feeling dizzy. "Ugh... I feel like...like...like...Idunnuh..."

"Muh-huh...You're soooooooooo Hiccup-y..." Astrid slurred, wrapping her wonky arms around Hiccup's thin neck in a chokehold position. "Come play...sockey..." The perpetrator held back a snort as the tough, Viking warrior reduced to a babbling state of mind. She shoved him to the ground rather clumsily and mushed his face into the ground. "Yay...Goal..."

The other Viking seemed to be in another world, his emerald eyes suddenly becoming glazed over and his body all limp. He said nothing, but collapsed atop of Astrid, who mumbled something Snotlout couldn't pick up on.

He slapped a thick hand over his mouth to keep from chortling with laughter. It was incredibly funny to see his cousin, the so-called hero of Berk, a wasted mess.

"Some hero!" He wanted to jeer, but kept silent. There was only one other thing left to do. Running back to the entryway of the Forge, he grabbed a scrap plank of wood and placed it over the handles of the doors.

"That should hold you," he said with satisfaction, taking a step back. Those two were probably too far gone to even notice that they were locked in. Would anyone discover them? He shook his head. Nah. The adults were too preoccupied with their drinks to take notice of Hiccup and Astrid's absence. Oh, they'd know by morning, but that was more than enough time for the couple to do something stupid or dangerous. He smirked, recalling the abundant amount of weapons Gobber left lying about the Forge. Hiccup and Astrid would most likely wake up, completely forgetful of the previous night, to find themselves in that state.

So perhaps his original plan of having Hiccup ruin the relationship wasn't exactly going to work. Thank Thor the adults would take care of the aftermath.

He stood quiet, listening to the muffled noises emitting from the two drunken teenagers. Yep, he had a pretty good hunch of what the adults would find the next morning. He frowned. Hopefully Astrid wouldn't go _too_ nuts with those unfinished weapons. After all, he didn't want his cousin's blood on his hands. His hope was that his cousin would do something that would horrify or disgust Astrid enough so that she would hate him forever. He chuckled sinisterly and rubbed his hands together. And when they were discovered, both Hiccup and Astrid would have to be separated. It was the rule. Even though Vikings were rather barbaric, they still had lines that children were taught should not be crossed.

Snotlout cackled again and glanced up at the Great Hall, when a pang of discomfort caused him to frown. "What if someone catches them in the act?" Now that would be quite interesting. The male then pondered if he should leave the two or stay close in case someone just happened to pass by.

He began to back away from the Forge. He couldn't stay. Someone would suspect him and then he'd end up in bigger trouble.

Some weird noises emitted from the forge and the boy grinned, leaning against the door. Well, it didn't hurt to stay and lookout.

...

An hour later...

"'Ello there Snotlout!"

The guilty party yelped, turning around quickly to find Gobber himself strolling towards him, a mug in one hand, his other, a prosthetic hook that had speared a leg of mutton. Snotlout spluttered for a moment before regaining his hard-set demeanor. "What ahre yeh doin' out here, lad? Ye should be enjoying th' party! They've got legs of mutton!" He smiled, waving the prosthetic hook in the air.

Snotlout paled and immediately felt sweat droplets begin to bead at his forehead. Why was he so nervous all of a sudden? It wasn't like the man knew he was behind...whatever the heck Hiccup and Astrid were doing in there.

"O-Oh yeah! Sounds great! Sounds great..." He trailed off and chuckled nervously, knowing full well what was in the Forge, but with no knowledge of how to excuse himself from the scene.

A muffled, hoarse moan emitted from the smithy, to which Snotlout coughed loudly in order to cover up the noise. In his state of nervousness, he could not decipher whether it was a moan of pain...or worse. "What in Loki's name are you losers doing in there?" He thought in confusion.

"Ye alright there, laddie? Yeh don't look yerself," The large blacksmith observed curiously, raising an eyebrow at the usually loud, bumptious boy, who'd suddenly gone rather quiet.

"I'm fine!" The young Viking laughed, trying to sound casual, praying that Gobber wouldn't suspect him of what lay behind the door of the Forge. "I was just heading back up there! I needed to...you know."

The much older male wrinkled his nose. "Oi, Ah don't need t' know that, boy." With a tired heave, the older Viking pushed past the younger one and stopped suddenly, eyeing the barricaded entrance to his shop. "What en the...?" He muttered, removing the wooden plank and pushing open the door.

At this point, Snotlout had been inching away, towards the Great Hall. He was sure that even the almighty Gods had flinched at the volume of Gobber yelling, "Hiccu-WHAT EN ODIN'S NAME ARE YE TWO DOING?!" The culprit smirked as Gobber entered the forge, sounds of iron plates clinking against each other. With a little chuckle, Snotlout slunk away from the small smithy. Whatever the blacksmith had found them doing must've been pretty bad. Awesome!

Gobber had yet to overcome the initial shock of what he had discovered. It was priceless. So for the sake of their dignity, he tore his eyes away. They were unconsciously slurring random excuses under their breath. "W-Whaddaya?" Gobber stuttered, forgetting all about Snotlout. "Hiccup?! What're ye doin'?"

Hiccup seemed to be coming to at the sound of Gobber's bellow, lifting his head and opening his emerald eyes to a half-lidded state. "Mmuh...Gobby?" The man struggled to control his temper as he approached his young apprentice, reached down, and yanked him up by his stick-thin arm. "Get up!" He thundered. "You too, Astrid!" Hiccup let out a pathetic yelp as Gobber's fingers became entwined in his slightly tangled auburn locks and he peered at the man through bloodshot eyes. "Get dressed," he growled firmly. "Now. The both of ye."

Astrid struggled to get to her feet, the room completely blurry in her azure eyes. "Whas happened?" She drawled, in a daze. Gobber retrieved her discarded bindings and shoved them at her.

"Never mind that," he replied gruffly, averting his eyes from her, "Ah can't believe th' two of ye. The total disregard of morality! The impudence!" He paused his chide and eyed the mugs that had accidentally been discarded. Suspicious, he picked one up. With one sniff, he recognized the elixir the two teens had consumed. Gobber closed his eyes, using as much strength he had to resist the urge to shout every Scandinavian curse he knew at the two fools.

"What...en _Odin's_ name...are ye drinking this stuff fer?" He growled. "Ye can't be _that_ stupid!" The man tossed the mug away and averted his eyes as the two struggled to get dressed in their drunken state. Astrid stumbled to the floor onto her knees, holding her head and moaning in pain. Hiccup kept muttering unintelligible words under his breath and randomly pawing at the air, as if feeling for some invisible, tangible object before him.

Gobber narrowed his eyes and backed away, outstretching his hook-hand. "Stay. Put. There," he ordered, hoping that some small, coherent part of them would adhere. "Ah'm going to get th' Chief." And with that said, Gobber rushed out of the forge and onto the street, running to the Great Hall as fast as his body would let him. "_Drinkin' like Romans..._" He thought with disgust.

Snotlout quietly watched from his hiding place, a surge of satisfaction blooming in his chest at the possibility that Hiccup and Astrid would be separated by the next morning.

...

"Stoick!" Gobber frantically called out as he shoved the double doors to the Great Hall agape. "Stoick, Ah need ye to come weth me, right now!"

Hiccup's father just so happened to be approaching the doors as soon as Gobber shoved them open, causing him to collide with them head-on. "Argh!" The man yelped, rubbing his now aching forehead. He glared at his best friend, who was out of breath. "What is it Gobber? What's wrong?"

Gobber's panicked expression erased any anger Stoick may have felt and replaced it with concern. "Tell me!"

"Stoick..." Gobber paused, sad that he was the one who had to deliver the shocking news. He looked about for a moment before lowering his voice. "It's Astrid and Hiccup. They've..."connected" as it will." Stoick's mouth went agape. "And right now," Gobber continued, "believe et or not, those two are stumbling about in me Forge, drunk."

Stoick stared at him, praying to the Gods that Gobber was joking. "Tell me this is a trick-a joke even," he breathed, dread consuming him. "You havin' a laugh Gobber?" He was sure that Hiccup wouldn't do such a thing. He didn't seem like the type who would break _that_ type of law. But then again, his best friend wasn't known to lie.

Gobber shook his head in sympathy for his friend. "Ah'm afraid not, Chief," he said sorrowfully. "Ah sampled their drink and et seems as though they've been consuming one of Gothi's elixirs. Ye know th' one she gives to delirious patients, or-or th' ones that require amputations?"

Drinking too? What had gone wrong?! Stoick knew that he had clearly explained these mature matters to his son and that they were wrong. And yet, Hiccup had deliberately disobeyed his rules. Stoick's once saddened face grew angry, and Gobber sighed, knowing that the chief would not take this lightly. "Show me where they are," Stoick commanded, and Gobber obeyed, quietly leading him from the Great Hall, ignoring the whispers and murmurs that trailed after them.

Stoick never thought he would be as embarrassed and ashamed for his son as much as he did when he found Hiccup passed out on the floor of the smithy with Astrid at his side. Under closer inspection, he noticed the blood droplets dotting the floor. Trying very hard not to lose his temper, the man knelt down and shook his son's shoulder. "Hiccup," he barked. "Wake up!"

The young Viking's head lolled to the side, his hands randomly clenching and unclenching, muttering random things under his breath. "Nien...Ten more...thugorrrr...ss..."

Embarrassed by Hiccup's state, Stoick rolled his eyes and took his young son in his arms, prepared to carry him home himself. Hiccup buried his freckled face in his father's impressive beard and groaned, going limp, but shivering every so often in the cold air.

"Tell Astrid's parents to leave their plates and come here immediately," Stoick ordered the blacksmith, "I'll explain what's happened when they get here." Gobber nodded and left right away.

Snotlout had watched the whole thing in sick delight. "Ha! That should do it," he thought with a grin. "Geez, do I even have to get involved anymore? It looks like Astrid and Hiccup took care of their relationship for me."

...

The next morning...

Hiccup woke the next morning feeling extremely groggy and sluggish. He opened his emerald eyes and blinked, his vision unusually fuzzy, even in the morning. He sat up with a groan, pressing a hand to his forehead when a sharp pain shot through his head. "Ugh...I feel like sea-froth," He groaned, his stomach protesting his movements, "What happened?"

A cheery warble from his dragon was his response. The young teenager grinned weakly as Toothless bounded over to his side, giving him a warm nuzzle for comfort. "Hey there, Bud," Hiccup greeted, giving the Nightfury a much-enjoyed scratch under the chin. "How's my best friend doing?" Toothless crooned warmly, lapping at his human's cheek .

"Ack! Toothless!" The scrawny boy cried out in disgust. "That doesn't wash-OW!" He doubled over, holding his abdomen tightly.

The Nightfury watched in concern, letting out a grumble of pity.

"I-I'm fine, Bud. Heh, you're probably feeling better than me I'll bet," Hiccup chuckled, swinging his legs over the side of his bed. "You're lucky dragons don't get-ARGH!" Another wave of pain. "-headaches," the boy finished, rubbing his aching temples tenderly. "Jeez, what did I eat?" He wracked his brain but curiously enough, he couldn't remember much of what happened the previous night.

Toothless cocked his head to the side, much like a curious puppy, and nudged his human, earning a goofy grin. "You wanna fly, Bud?" Hiccup asked as he hobbled over to his desk and grabbed his fur vest. "Sure thing! After breakfast of course. Maybe I'll feel better after a bite to eat."

The two made their ways down the stairs, Toothless bounding and Hiccup trudging, an arm clenching his stomach. He called, "Hey Dad? Toothless and I are going to head out after breakfast and meet up with Astrid at the academy, okay?"

"You'll not be going anywhere today." The response his father gave him was so sullen and so serious that Hiccup stopped dead in his tracks. Toothless whined and rumbled in protest.

Confused and slightly concerned, the young Viking stepped over to his father, who's back was to him. Stoick was facing the fire he had lit moments before, not even glancing at his son.

"Sit down," he ordered. "We need to talk."

"Uh, sure Dad," Hiccup obeyed quickly, not wanting to get on his father's bad side this early in the day. "Uh, why don't you go outside, Bud?" The dragon warbled unhappily but complied with his human's wishes, shuffling out the door. Once he was absent, Hiccup pulled up a spare wooden stool and sat across from the large man. "Is... Is everything alright?" The fourteen-year-old questioned, bewildered when his father only sighed, rubbing the spot between his eyebrows.

Hiccup froze, recognizing the look his father was giving him. The same look that had haunted him all his life. It was disappointment.

"You haven't an inkling of what you did last night, do you?" Stoick the Vast muttered. Hiccup tensed. It was more of a statement than that of a question.

"Last night? Last night..." What had happened the night before? "Did I miss something important? Um... I have no idea what you're talking about, Dad," the teen said honestly, scratching his head. "I went to the Great Hall for dinner and..." He then blushed, embarrassed about hanging out with his female counterpart. "I spent some time with Astrid in the Forge..." He paused, his mind going blank. "And... That's all I recall."

"Well, I'll fill you in then," the man said with a thin, sarcastic tone, and Hiccup felt a sense of dread rise within him. Whatever this was about, he had no doubt it was something bad. "There I was, in the Great Hall," Stoick recounted, "minding my own business when Gobber bursts in telling me that you were passed out in his shop, naked, with Astrid in your arms!"

There was a short silence.

Hiccup's emerald eyes widened in shock and his jaw went slack. Did his father just say what he thought he said? "W-Wait, what?" He spluttered, a nervous smile tugging at his lips. "Haha! Good one Dad! You really had me there... Hehe. Um...You're...you're joking, right?"

Stoick's stony demeanor remained and what little smile Hiccup etched, faded.

"Dad, if this is a joke, I seriously suggest that you rethink your material." Hiccup cracked another nervous smile. Stoick's expression didn't change. "No, you're not seriously suggesting that I had-" he sucked in a breath, his freckled face reddening. "That can't be; I don't remember any of that!"

"And what's more," Stoick continued with a hint of strain in his voice, "according to your cousin, Snotlout, he happened to be passing by and heard everything." He shook his head and sighed while Hiccup desperately wracked his brain for answers.

"But Dad, you know me!" Hiccup cried, feeling his cheeks growing warm from humiliation, "I know the law, and I would never do something like that."

"Are you calling your father a liar, boy?" His father asked, his voice dangerously soft.

Hiccup remained quiet for a moment, flustered, not trusting himself to answer honestly. "No, I'm saying Snotlout's lying," he retorted slowly, reminding himself to confront his cousin about the situation later. "Gobber must be lying, as much as I hate to say that. I'm telling you, Dad, I didn't do anything."

"Hiccup!" Stoick thundered, and his son jolted at the volume, cowering under the large man's glare. He unconsciously gripped the sides of the stool he sat upon with his fingers until his knuckles turn white. "I saw you myself! I was the one had to carry you home while you were just in your skins! Don't you tell me what you didn't do!"

After getting over his initial shock, the boy inhaled sharply. "T-Then how come I can't remember it?" He asked in frustration, clenching his auburn hair between his spidery fingers. "Seriously, if I did...what you're saying I did, with _Astrid_ no less, I'm sure I'd have SOME sort of recollection!" He was beginning to panic. Why didn't his father believe him? Surely he'd be more reliable as an honest boy than Snotlout! "Ju-Just... Go ask Astrid if you don't believe me."

"She would say the same," Stoick stated, his eyes narrowing, "And do you know why?"

Hiccup seemed to shrink in his stool. "Why?" He asked meekly, face paling.

"Because the both of you were drinking one of Gothi's elixirs!" the Chief yelled, causing Hiccup to squeak. His father was rather terrifying when he was like this. There was no telling what he would do. "Oh for the love of-Et's no wonder yeh can't remember a thing! You were passed out by th' time Gobber led me to you!"

"B-But-" Hiccup protested. "I don't even remember drinking an elixir! I think I remember drinking water...or something, and..." He paused. "That's all!"

Stoick held up a hand, silencing his son. "Save your breath."

"What?"

"You and Astrid have proven that you were not mature enough to be trusted alone with each other."

"..._What_? But, Dad-! We didn't-!"

"Hiccup," Stoick yet again interrupted. His face relaxed into one that was pure disappointment.

Hiccup paled and white-knuckled the stool. "B-But Dad..." He protested hopelessly. He felt his eyes begin to tear up and he averted them from his father's in hopes he wouldn't notice. "I-She-You can't keep us apart."

"I can. Don't question my authority," his father chided sullenly. "I know you want to be with her and I know that your relationship is important to you, but if I were in your position, I'd be worrying about Astrid."

Hiccup slowly tilted his head back up to face Stoick, who swallowed at the heartbroken expression. "A-Astrid..." He winced, picturing the girl's fury. "She isn't too mad about...you know?"

"It would be foolish of her to be so-at you," Stoick scoffed and shook his head. "She's just as guilty as you. And her anger isn't as big as an issue as her physical state-"

Here, Hiccup jumped from the stool, letting it fall over with a thunk. "Is she okay?" He cried in concern. "Did...Oh no. Did I hurt her? Oh geeze, with all those weapons lying around-"

Stoick groaned and grabbed his son's bony shoulders, squeezing tightly. "Hiccup," he spoke slowly, surprised that his intelligent boy hadn't considered it earlier. "You had _intercourse_ with Astrid. What do you think may be happening to her? For all we know, she may be _pregnant_."

There was a hush. Hiccup's emerald eyes grew impossibly wide and his jaw set to a firm line. As soon as Stoick slowly loosened his grip on the boy's shoulders, he could feel Hiccup immediately tensing.

For once, the Chief was silent, patiently letting the appalling truth sink in. Hiccup was slightly shaking, dazed as his mind tried to absorb the true gravity of the situation. "T-This is too crazy," he whispered, shakily sliding to the wooden floor of his home, shocked to the core. "I...I can't...believe this."

Stoick knelt down to his son, sympathetically patting his lanky shoulders, despite his apparent anger. Hiccup inhaled sharply, making an attempt to hold back his tears. This was too much to take in, but he couldn't cry. "But how can you be sure that she's...?"

"Gothi's goin' t' take a look," Stoick assured him. "She has more knowledge of this more than anyone on Berk. Probably in the entire Archipelago. She'll know this early on."

Hiccup hugged his knees, an abundant amount of tears struggling to escape his eyes as he struggled to avoid hyperventilating. _"This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening! __This can't be happening!__"_

Somehow, he managed to swallow down a wail. "D-Does *heave* Astrid know about w-what happened yet?" He choked faintly, hating himself for letting several sobs escape his throat. He felt such shame, humiliation, and terrible guilt begin to consume him, even though he was sure whatever did happen between them must have been some miscommunication or just a simple mistake that led to something unorthodox.

Stoick sighed, removed his helmet, and smoothed back his hair. "Aye, that she does."

So she _did_ know. The thought made Hiccup's stomach churn in the most grotesque way. "And... Uh...by any chance, what happens if she IS pregnant?" He asked.

"Let's not make any assumptions," The chief said firmly, "and don't get your hopes up. Let's just pray to the Gods that she isn't. Odin knows you and Astrid aren't nearly mature enough to settling down with little ones." Hiccup bit his lip. "And if she is... Pray that the Gods will take it lightly... And, well, then you're going to be a father."

At that, Hiccup's heart jolted and his breath hitched. A father. A _father_. The word bounced around his clouded brain. _Father. Father. Father._ It sounded so strange. He'd be that person who'd have to be there for his child, to teach him or her, to raise, to nurture... And then the deja-vu.

"Yeah, a father... Fantastic." The boy muttered scornfully, trying to imagine he and Astrid trying to raise a child together. "Because everyone knows my skill-sets just _thrive_ in THAT department." A lump rose in his throat. "Astrid and I haven't even been together for a week! How is she going to...?" He slapped a hand over his mouth, for a huge cry was about to escape his lips. His shoulders shook, his body wracking with silent sobs.

"Thor's hammer...! How am I *hic*-_Great_... *hic*-going to raise *hic* a child? I'm not even old enough to be *hic* chief yet!" He paused to glare at his dad. "But I-I suppose that shouldn't be a problem, seeing as how I'm not allowed to be with her anymore."

Stoick was quiet for a moment, watching his son wither beneath his gaze. Even though he was extremely upset at his boy for disregarding his rules, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy and, dare he say, a tad bit of guilt. Perhaps Hiccup never intended to do what he did with Astrid. "After all," he thought, "they were incorrigible, poisoned by Loki's drink." With a sigh, he pulled the young Viking into his arms and held him close.

"Enough," the Chief scolded gently, placing a hand on Hiccup's chin and tilting his head upward to face him. Hiccup screwed up his face as he tried to maintain a determined expression. "Enough. You need to be stronger than this," he advised softly. "If Astrid is indeed pregnant, then you need to be there for her. That's your child she might be carrying."

"So wait," Hiccup croaked, "are you still keeping us apart?"

Stoick thought for a moment and sighed heavily. "If you two are going to adopt the responsibilities of parenthood, than I'll have to arrange you and Astrid to be wedded."

Hiccup gasped yet again, a flurry of mixed emotions flooding his mind. "Wedded?" he repeated. "Y-You mean _married_? But I'm only-"

"_You _are too young to be having intercourse without proper marriage consent," Stoick pointed out. "Besides, I was around your age when I married your mother and she bore you not long after."

There was a pause.

"Hiccup," he said seriously, "You do know what you did was wrong."

Hiccup nodded, trying to steady his voice as he spoke, "I know, Dad. I'm sorry." He glanced away. "I GOTTA be stronger-er, strong," he amended sheepishly. "I'm..." He swallowed and then gave his father his best look of determination. "I'll be there for her." Stoick nodded and roughly pulled his son up to his feet, er, foot.

"Good," he approved. "Now... Ah, as of right now, I want you to stay inside your room for today," the Chief said, placing a hand on Hiccup's back, gently guiding him towards the stairs. "It'll give you plenty of time to think about what you've done." Hiccup groaned inwardly but obeyed his father without further comment.

Stoick watched his son trudge up the stairs, looking admittedly distressed and shook head. How did his son always manage to get himself into trouble? He had only _now_ ended a war, and now this! If Astrid ended up bearing Hiccup's children, then they'd really have no choice but to marry. It was either that, or Hiccup would face death by the hands of Astrid's family, and shunning in the girl's case.

...

An elderly woman gently rapped on the door of the Hofferson household with her staff, patiently waiting for someone to answer. The man of the house, Egil, peeked out the door with a rather nervous expression but smiled when he noticed her presence. Egil was a rather buff Viking, but was known to be a tad bit soft. She raised an eyebrow at the weathered complexion his face possessed.

"Ah, Gothi! We were expecting yeh!" He said, smiling a smile too big to be real. "A-Ah assume yeh know what's happened between th' chief's son and me daughter." The elderly women frowned and nodded, motioning to the door.

"Oh-Oh yes," Egil stuttered, tugging at his beard, "How rude of me. Come in, come in!" The woman smiled and hobbled into the man's home. "Darlin'!" Said man called out to his wife. "The elder's arrived to inspect our daughter!"

From somewhere in the house came a muffled yell for Egil's reply, and he winced. "Helga's probably busy at th' moment," he apologized meekly, rubbing the back of his head. "A-Ah'll show yeh to Astrid. Come with me, please." He carefully led Gothi upstairs to his daughter's bedroom and gently knocked on the door.

"Astrid?" He called out. "The Elder is here!"

"Go away!" A hoarse, infuriated feminine voice shouted back in defiance. "I keep telling you that I didn't do anything with Hiccup! Why don't you take the Friggin hint!"

"Sweetie, please-" THUNK.

The sharp blade of an axe abruptly pierced through the door, causing Astrid's father to yelp in a rather un-Viking-like fashion. Gothi eyed him questioningly. The man sighed and admitted, "She's been like that all day. Ever since we told her what happened, she just kept denying and denying-the poor lass won't admit her wrongdoing."

Gothi gave him a calculated look. "Believe me, she is a very obedient and proper girl," Egil insisted. "Ah honestly cannot tell ye that Ah know what happened with her that night. It was as if she had disregarded Viking morale entirely." The older woman nodded slowly and her expression clearly meant one thing: dismissal.

"Eh, right! I'll leave yeh to it then," Egil nodded, seemingly a little too eager to be heading back downstairs.

With a warm smile, Gothi gently pushed opened the wooden door and stepped into the teenage girl's room.

Astrid was sitting on the edge of her bed, hunched over, the most disturbing glare plastered onto her face. Moving her blonde bangs out of her icy azure eyes, the girl snapped, "I know why my father wants you here, and I'll tell you what, why don't I just tell you what really happened?" She growled. "And that's just it: nothing happened between Hiccup and I. Nothing, you understand?! I'm a maiden."

Gothi simply frowned disapprovingly at tone of voice the girl was using with her and roughly bonked her on the head with her staff. "OW! Gothi!" Astrid yelled through her gritted teeth, rubbing at the tender area.

One look from the older woman advised Astrid to discontinue speaking. "Fine," the Viking griped, glaring at Gothi with stony anger. "Just do your thing. You'll see. I didn't do anything with him."

The Elder motioned her to lie on her back upon the bed, which Astrid did unwillingly. She noticed that the older woman kept glancing at the axe that was embedded in her door frame. "What?" She asked, "It's not like I'm gonna hurt you or anything. The last thing I want is to be banished."

Gothi chuckled under her breath and placed a hand on Astrid's forehead, the other on her abdomen. She closed her eyes in deep concentration. The girl watched in curious fascination. Even though she was angry, she could not doubt Gothi's impressive ways of examination and knowledge. Gods, the woman could tell the exact date of a person's death just by looking at his or her tongue! Not that Astrid would want to know that...

The woman opened her eyes, and dread filled Astrid's being as a frown overtook Gothi's face. "I-Is everything-?" Gothi held up a hand for her to silence herself and took her hand in her own aged, wrinkled one. Deeply absorbed in the almost witchcraft-like observations, Gothi began examining the girl's fingernails, torn and bloody from all the nervous biting since that morning.

"Look, I'm telling you with every fiber of my being, I swear I did NOT engage in any sort of...ugh...you know, THAT, with Hiccup Haddock," Astrid insisted, a blush rising to her cheeks at the thought. Gothi shook her head again. The teenager stared at her expectantly, her heart fluttering in nervousness. "What?" She queried.

What happened next startled the girl: Gothi spoke. "Lass, Ah've seen th' signs. There's really no need t' deny et. Ye 'ave connected Heccup Horrendous Haddock III," she said quietly yet firmly. Before Astrid had the chance to deny it once again, she went on, "Ah also know that ye may 'ave not been aware of yer actions because ye've consumed one of me very non-impotent elixirs." Astrid spluttered in bewilderment, going a deep scarlet shade in the face.

"However, Astrid Hofferson, that esn't the only thing Ah've found."

The girl nearly choked on her own breath. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" She asked quietly. She then quickly took on a different tone and drew up to her full height, towering intimidatingly over the small woman. "You had _better_ not say what I think you're saying." She said almost threateningly.

The Elder sighed and shook her head, knowing that Astrid would flip once she heard the truth. "Mah dear lass. Ah've seen the signs and Ah cannot keep thes knowledge from ye. Ye are indeed pregnant weth Hiccup's child."

...

**A/N: Cripes almighty, Astrid is NOT happy. Do me a favor and just imagine how her reaction would be if she finds out that Snotlout was the cause of this predicament. How will she react to seeing Hiccup since that fateful night? If he's lucky, he'll only get an axe to the knee. And yes, they will eventually find out it was the infamous Snotlout...or will they? How will Snotlout react seeing how he caused the problem? Keep reading to find out! **

**Please leave a structured, adequate review. Believe me, I love criticism but I will not take flames seriously.**

**Ps: Cripes almighty once again! Eighteen pages of work?! Hey, why don't you do your old pal Emma a favor and add my story to your favorites? Follow it! Come on, you know you want to! You know that you want to see what happens to Snotlout. You know you want to see the baby. You know you want to see fourteen-year-olds try to be parents. Oh, and don't forget the wedding! You wanna see that. Don't we all, my precious Fanrats? **

**Pss: If anyone has any suggestions for how the story might go, please leave a review and I might take it under consideration.**


	2. Mishap by Meet n' Greet

**A/N: Cripes almighty, my little Fanrats! I can feel the love tonight! Seriously. I can. In here. *points to stomach* I have never seen so many favorites and reviews and follows in such a short amount of time. I don't believe my stories have gotten this type of recognition since the Chat Room B for Best story, (which was unfortunately deleted). Oh well. Out with the old and in with the new, as I always say! Ha. I never say that... Anyway, here are the answers to the feedback: **

**Plinplan: I don't intend to make it a false alarm, don't worry. XD Astrid is pregnant for sure.**

**SharKohen: I wouldn't be surprised if Stoick exiled him for his crime if he ever finds out. But we'll see what happens! Just to throw in my personal opinion, if I were Stoick, I'd toss Snotlout in the ring alone with Astrid for ten minutes as a punishment.**

**MHJohn64th: *waves back* I know. I came into this fandom thinking that I was going to read every single solitary story. After about fourteen, it became apparent that it wasn't an option, because my brain cells were beginning to die. Thank you kindly for the review, and I...I... Did you just call me "sir"?**

**Gee, thanks man. XD I'm a girl.**

**NONAME: Holy cow, hi! I'm SO happy you're reading the story. But please, I beg of you, don't look at my other ones. It's embarrassing.**

**TheForsakenTwist1: YOU ARE NOW AN HONORARY FANRAT! WELCOME TO THE CLUB! And it looks like I've managed to drag you out of the FBCC fandom as well. Stick with me, and all your dreams will come true!**

**FluentFletcher2: I can't thank you enough for critiquing my stories. I absolutely love your feedback and I'm honored that you're now a Fanrat. If I've converted you, I've done my job.**

**G: I'll do it. *charges at Snotlout with my guard mouse* GET 'IM LANCELOT!**

**Jadesunset: Aw. Thank you so much! You are such a sweetheart! ^^ It truly warms my heart to the highest degree to know that you are enjoying the story.**

**frostonthewindow: Huh. I wonder what fandom YOU are interested in... Hold up a tic. According to you, my story is awesome, horrible, AND original? Yes! I believe I've hit the jackpot! Thank you! I'll update as soon as I can.**

**Alpha darkwolf: Dude, just to get it out of the way: I love your name. :D Anyway, I thought about what you said about Astrid and Hiccup remembering what Snotlout did to them since the elixir wasn't yet in their system. Well, I'm getting to that. And thanks for not being a flame, by the way. I hate those. You're absolutely right. Eventually, they'd have to have SOME recollection of what happened, but with everyone talking of only the aftermath, mixed with the confusion of what they did, I'm sure Snotlout would be far from their minds. But don't worry, they DO remember at some point. And in my defense, I'm not too knowledgeable over the subject of, well, being drunk. I wouldn't know. I've never been drunk. I'm a fifteen-year-old, Catholic, goody-goody Californian. Cheers to anyone else in the same boat.**

**Koollolly: Do you know how long I'VE been waiting for a story like this to be published? Twelve days. I first saw the movie about two weeks ago. Too long. Got sick of waiting so I'm doing it myself. Lol. Thank you so much for reviewing and I look forward to seeing YOU in the future!**

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: Thank you so much! And I'm sorry, (not really) but I will give nothing away, at least to you, old friend. :D**

**Casandradaytree: Thank you!**

**JD-httydFan: Thanks so much for reviewing. I'm not going to give away what happens in the future, because, well, I'm awesome and I have the authority. But hey, I can tell you that Astrid and Hiccup will be confronting each other in this chapter. Prepare yourself for the rage!**

**Well, I see you no need to further bore you to death. On with the story!**

**Oh, and a big "thank you" to those who favorite and follow the story so far. You are all such amazing Fanrats. And I mean that in the kindest possible way.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise. If only.**

**Again: There is no such thing as swearing in my world.**

_**Chapter Two: Meet n' Greet**_

Hiccup spent about a third of the rest of the morning lying motionless in his bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling. A million thoughts swirled about in his aching noggin at incredible speeds, much like an out-of-control water spout.

Ever since his dad had grounded him to his room and vacated the house to continue his daily routine of chiefly duties, Hiccup had been thinking nonstop about Astrid, the pregnancy, the separation, the marriage-UGH! He covered his burning face with his bed sheets and groaned. Why was all of this happening to him? "Oh, the Gods hate me," Hiccup muttered sourly. It was evidently too much for one boy to handle, even if that particular boy had conquered the Red Death. "I never get a break in this village. First it's a monster, now it's a baby. What next?"

Having just gained the knowledge of a copious amount of appalling things in so little time, one could imagine he didn't feel very well. But even with his own qualms, the Viking's heart twanged with sympathy for Toothless when the warbled cries of his dragon echoed from outside. "I feel your pain, Bud," he said softly and closed his emerald eyes. He wished more than ever he could just take a flight with Toothless to clear his head-even a short flight would do. His progressively healing limb hurt a lot less than it had the day before, so it wouldn't bother him as much.

Hiccup yearned to take his mind off the subject matters, but as the hours passed, it became apparent that that it wasn't going to happen. He made an attempt to divert himself from the haunting thoughts by sitting at his desk and doodling in his notebook, which would generally do a pretty good job of distracting him from his worldly matters. But even now...

He growled in aggravation and tore out a page from his notebook, crumpling it up and tossing it to the floor. He'd spaced out and unconsciously drawn a picture of Astrid. Flustered beyond belief, the young male slammed his head into the desk, mounting the pain of his headache. "Urg..." For the remainder of the morning, he preferred to spend his time rolling his charcoal utensil across his desk.

What in Odin's name had happened the night before? Did the boy really do what everyone was telling him? Or was it all a big trick to get him all flustered? The second option seemed additionally probable, however if it was done so by his friends. Stoick the Vast wasn't _that_ cruel to his son.

Now that Hiccup had been reflecting on it for awhile, he did recall spending time with Astrid in the Forge. It was exactly like how his father aforementioned, but the rest was too fuzzy to remember clearly. He did bear in mind that his dad mentioned Snotlout, and in all honesty, it did sound familiar. But he didn't want to think about that right then. All he could do was to keep praying to Odin that he would wake up and it would all turn out to be a crazy dream, but that never happened.

After a few hours of torture, Hiccup was tempted to steal out the window of his room and catch a ride on Toothless, even if it meant going behind his father's back. He needed to clear his head. However, his dad burst in on him out of the blue before he could do anything. "Hiccup!" Stoick cried out as he shoved the door open. His son squawked in surprise at his dad's noisy entrance and regained his balance before he toppled over from shock. How on Berk did he not hear his dad's ominous, thundering footsteps?

"GAH! D-Dad!" The adolescent Viking held a small, freckled hand over his bony chest and took a deep breath before saying wittily, "Y-You keep doing that and I'll die of a heart attack before I turn fifteen." Stoick didn't seem to hear him. He was breathless, leaning over for a moment and holding a large hand, indicating that he needed to catch his breath.

"Hiccup," he repeated once he was situated.

"D-Don't hold anything back," Hiccup encouraged nervously.

Stoick clasped his meaty hands together and took a deep breath. "I just came back from Gothi's." Gothi's? Hiccup did a double take and began to stutter. She had already inspected Astrid? That was sooner than he expected. Everything was speeding along much too quickly for his taste.

"Buh-Why-wha...w-what did she sa-a-tell you!?" He forced out, nervous by his father's expression. It was a mixture of trepidation, apprehension, and...something else.

"Son... Gothi inspected the young lass and she came to me with the results," he paused, waiting for Hiccup's reaction. "It wasn't even close. She told me that the results were definite and that..." Hiccup was surprised that there was no fierce anger, or 'fear me' vibe to the Viking chief's usually intimidating voice. It was no longer a harsh bark. Now, it was the comforting vibe of a father trying to soothe his only son. "I'm so sorry, son. Astrid is..."

"YES...?" Hiccup squeaked nervously, his heart pounding away in his chest with anticipation. He knew what his father was going to say, however, hearing the man saying it aloud would be more confirming. His dad looked him right in the eye and the boy flinched. What was up with that gleam?

"It seems as though we need to start planning the wedding, for Astrid is going to bear you a child, Hiccup," Stoick alleged firmly, vigilantly studying his son's reaction. He didn't expect him to break down or cry, but he might've anticipated a bit of angry shouting, punches to the walls, and things of that nature.

His son did neither. He didn't even pipe up a retort. As an alternative, Hiccup inaudibly sat down on the edge of the bed, his emerald eyes locked on the floor. It was the same reaction he had experienced when he woke up with one less limb. There was first shock, then disbelief, then...trying not to let it show that it bothered him. Stoick paced over to him and placed a burly hand on the scrawny teen's shoulders. "Son," he initiated after a moment of silence. "You know what this means, do you?"

Hiccup swiveled his gaze from the floorboards to his father's, who puzzled over the unclear expression on his boy's face. "I...I think so," he answered softly, yet firmly in a way. "I have to...marry Astrid, don't I?"

"She can't raise that child on her own, Hiccup," Stoick implied, still unable to interpret the expression on Hiccup's face. It wasn't of necessity, dread, or anger at all. It was this stare he'd seen before in battle, in warriors who would try to keep a calm head before the bloodbath would begin. Only Hiccup did not possess any rage or vigor. "She needs a strong male who can look after her and her child. She needs to be kept safe."

Hiccup said, "Well, between you and me, I'm not sure Astrid needs much help protecting herself."

Stoick rubbed a hand over his worn-out eyes. "This is serious, Hiccup. You need to set her and your child as your first priority. The dragons come second." Toothless let out a cry from outside. "Yeah, I said it!" Stoick barked. "Vikings before dragons, that's all I ask of you. At this rate, by the time the child is born, winter will be upon us. That's not safe. You know how hazardous it is for a child to be birthed in the winter."

"I know. I'll...think of something." Hiccup stared impassively at the floor for a second time before saying, "I don't think I can stay in here anymore, Dad. Since there's nothing for me to do, I can't get my mind off of..." He trailed off, not bothering to say it.

Stoick nodded in understanding, patting his lanky son on the back. "Alright then, we'll discuss it later. Why don't you make yourself useful and go down to the Smithy? I'm sure Gobber could make more use of your...skills." He had intended to say brawn, but evidently, Hiccup had none of that either.

The teenager nodded stiffly and exited without another word. "C'mon Toothless," he called to his Nightfury as he went outside. The dragon was situated by the front step, almost as if he were anticipating his arrival. "Let's go to Gobber's." He pondered over his dad's expression: shock, fear, awe, and…what was that other thing? Pride? Yeah, right. "Maybe he's just happy that I finally become a man in some aspect," Hiccup theorized with a roll of his eyes.

Strolling through the village plaza was something that Hiccup had done hundreds of times in his lifetime, but not once had he done so without people whispering his name as he walked past, either with awe of excitement, or both. And even before that, it was in disgust and contempt. Now, everyone looked surprised and suspicious. Toothless seemed to notice and growled at the passerby's that whispered.

"Oh great, that's just what I need," Hiccup thought sarcastically, blowing his auburn bangs out of his eyes, "More reminders of what we did. Snotlout probably blabbed off to the whole village and told them that the Chief's son is a promiscuous drunk. Just when I thought I could get my mind off of...it." He bit his lip and tried to hurry along quickly and quietly with his head down until he reached the Forge.

Gobber was pounding away at some iron with his interchangeable tool-kit for a hand when the youngster arrived. "Hey there, Gobber! I heard you needed some help," Hiccup greeted quickly, grabbing his apron and putting it on. "Haven't seen you since..." He chuckled uneasily, feeling idiotic for bringing up the other night's state of affairs. Couldn't he just have a fresh start? Toothless peered up at his master, mystified by his skittish behavior.

"Since Ah found ye butt-naked on the floor of me smithy?" Gobber suggested with a smirk, pausing his hammering to reply. "Yeah, that was a real shocker. Ah nearly lost me cool."

Toothless's green eyes widened and he warbled, nudging Hiccup's leg with his nose.

"W-What are you looking at?" Hiccup hissed in discomfiture at the dragon, "Go lie down!" The Nightfury obeyed, but not before giving his human a suspicious look.

"Y-Yeah," Hiccup blushed awkwardly, turning his attention back to the man. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about...y-you know..."

"Ah, et's all good, lad!" Gobber exclaimed good-naturedly, slapping the boy had on the back, which caused him to topple into a pile of bolas.

"U-Uh, really?"

"Ah know ye meant nothing of et. At least et was less disturbing then Mildew's incident. Euyuh..." The younger Viking shuddered, unwanted images entering his mind.

"Is that so? Well, thanks for that. Good to know," Hiccup shrugged, trying to force the idea of the blacksmith seeing him in _that_ kind of state while detangling himself from the bolas.

"So. Tell me, what did that father of yours have to say about it?" Gobber asked thoughtfully, handing Hiccup an axe to sharpen. The teenager stared at it for a moment, the dangerous weapon reminding him of Astrid. He swallowed thickly, feeling rather light-headed.

"Well, turns out he wants me to marry her," he mumbled incoherently, straining under the weight of the axe as he began to sharpen it.

Gobber guffawed loudly in amusement, and Hiccup's forest-green eyes narrowed irritably. "Oh, that's what ye get, boy, for "servicing" her!" The boy grunted in response, his freckled cheeks darkening to a brilliant burgundy.

"I fail to see the humor in this, Gobber. There's more to it than that. I just found out that's she's pregnant."

Gobber nodded, to Hiccup's surprise. "Oh I know! Gothi told me. Looks like you're going to have an extra set of footprints around yer house," he replied casually.

"Oh, thanks Gothi," Hiccup muttered, mentally cursing the old woman. Why is it that Gobber heard the news before he did? "At least you seem to be taking this unimaginably well," he grumbled sarcastically. He then lifted the axe, its blade smooth and sharp. "Done."

He carefully gave the axe to his boss, who inspected it closely before handing it off to its owner outside. "Thank ye! Come again!" He noticed Hiccup's flustered, angry expression and couldn't help but smirk. "Hey. Ye are the one that got yerself into this situation."

"I get it! Oh, for the love of-It's not funny, Gobber!" Hiccup cried, throwing his arms in the air in exasperation.

"Uh, no, ye've got it all wrong. It's not as ef situation _etself_ is comical," Gobber tried to amend, "Et's the fact that _ye_ get yerself involved. That's what makes et humorous!"

Hiccup stared at him in confusion before asking dryly, "What, so it's funny to see Hiccup the Useless in pain again?" He sighed and ran his fingers through his auburn hair. "Oh Gods... Some things just never change."

Gobber nodded, trying hiding his amused smirk and ultimately failing. "Ye know what thes all means, don't ye Hiccup? Ye got a big responsibility on yer shoulders that ye need to uphold," said the blacksmith, taking on a more serious note, "Et's time to step up and be a man for yer lady."

"I didn't do that with the whole "Red Death" thing for the village?" Hiccup asked, rolling eyes for the hundredth time.

"Yes, ye did," Gobber admitted hastily. "But now es even more important. Because ye are protecting one of yer own. Yer own flesh and blood! A helpless baby who can't defend itself, unlike a village of strong, mighty Vikings! Though, we do thank ye for that."

Hiccup cracked a grin and folded his arms. "You're welcome."

"Lad, ye need to prepare for the next chapter of yer life. No more playing around. Now, Ah've never had kids of me own, but Ah've watched you and the other riders grow up, so Ah can tell ye, children are quite a handful. Astrid will need yer help. Not only will ye need to step up and become a mature man, but a husband, and a father." Hiccup winced. That word again. He felt a strange reaction whenever it was being directed at him. It simply didn't seem to fit with "Hiccup". At least Gobber wasn't laughing at him again.

"Well, thank you for summing that up," he said, grinning toothily at Gobber. There wasn't a hint of sarcasm in the boy's voice. The man smiled back at his apprentice and focused his attention on a bent sword handle while Hiccup began to polish the iron used to make Viking helmets. "Anytime," Gobber replied.

Hiccup wasn't positive if the talk he and Gobber had made him feel any better. In fact, he wasn't at all sure of what exactly he was feeling. It was sort of this fluttery sentiment in his stomach mixed with a concoction of dread.

The next five minutes were pretty uneventful, until:

"HICCUP!" Said boy jerked his head up to see his female partner-in-crime stomping towards him with the angriest look he had ever seen her convey. Her brows furrowed, her pearly-white teeth grinding together to near powder; she almost resembled an angry bull charging toward him at top speed.

"Oh...Gods," Hiccup moaned feebly as she approached him. He turned to his boss for help, not caring if it made him look weak in any way. Then again, he didn't need much help in that department. "G-Gobber? Help a fellow Viking ou-AHH!"

With an enraged yell, Astrid ferociously slammed the crook of her axe against his throat, forcing and then pinning him helplessly to the wall of the Forge. He dared to open his eyes, emerald meeting icy blue. He managed a weak grin. "H-Hey Astrid," he chuckled nervously. Her infuriated glare did not waver, and he gulped as the blade pressed deeper into his jugular. "H-Help!" He squeaked. Toothless growled dangerously and started to creep up on them.

Luckily, Gobber intervened before the girl could slice the young boy's head off and before Toothless could attack. "Alright, ye two. Break it up," he ordered firmly, gripping Astrid's arm and forcing her away from the chieftain heir. Hiccup gasped for air, rubbing at his neck feverishly. "That's et. Calm down."

Toothless continued to growl until Hiccup eased him. "Whoa... It's okay, Bud. I'm alright."

Astrid snarled much like a Deadly Nadder, her demeanor representing that of a thundercloud. Her entire body was tensed, and Gobber sensed that she urged to assault Hiccup once more, so he yanked the axe away from her before she could cause any more harm.

"Wha-? Give that back!" The blonde growled, swiping her fingers towards her beloved weapon of choice. Gobber fortunately held it just out of reach as the girl began to pound his chest with her fists. "Give. That. Back. To. Me. Right. _Now_!" She seethed with each punch. The punches themselves seemed to leave little impact on the blacksmith and he rolled his eyes. Hiccup watched in distress, his emerald eyes widening with fright.

"Yer not gettin' this back. Not until ye've calmed yerself down, and ye and Hiccup have had a talking to!" Gobber said firmly, placing her axe on the highest shelf-the one she couldn't reach even if she jumped. Despite Hiccup's protests, Gobber vehemently grabbed one of the teen's scrawny shoulders and dragged Astrid by her arm to the small room at the back of the Forge: Hiccup's private nook.

"Now," the man said, shoving the two to the ground. "Ah don't want to see either of ye out of this room until whatever's broken between ye two has been welded back together. Ah'm locking the door-"

"No, wait! Do-don't do that!" Hiccup cried fearfully, glancing at the steaming girl beside him. "You know, t-there are plenty of other ways we could work this out! Uh, outside perhaps? With uh, tons of witnesses?"

Gobber shook his head. "Ye need to work out whatever's going on between the two of ye. And ye'd better do it quick, because Ah'm not going to open the door until ye do." And with that said, he shut the door, only to open it back up a moment later, "One more thing," he added quickly, "Ah don't want to hear any strange sounds that may indicate any nasty actions! Bad for me business, ye know?" And he locked the door, subsequent to shutting it.

Astrid inhaled deeply through her nose, giving a death glare to the trembling male who'd by now scooted as far away from her as possible in a corner. "You..." She pointed a rigid finger at him, her teeth gritted, "You _SON_ of a _HALF-TROLL_!" With a potent battle cry that Odin himself may have heard, she flung herself at him with intention of beating the boy to a bloody pulp.

Hiccup shrieked out of extreme fear and just managed to avoid the superiority of her fists by leaping to the side at the last second. With a yelp, he sought out refuge from under his desk and crawled underneath, grabbing one of the wooden legs. "HICCUP!" Astrid screamed, reaching down and grabbing a fistful of his auburn hair. "You are SO going to regret you ever MET me!"

"I doubt thaAA-Astrid! Owowowow! D-Don't!" The male cowered, shielding his face with his puny arms as she dragged him out from under the desk with ease. "Think about what you're doing!" He started to panic, knowing that Astrid could kill him if she wanted to. It would only take the snap of his neck and the right amount of anger to do the deed, and at the present, she was fully capable of doing it. She pinned his right shoulder on the ground with her foot and hovered dangerously above him.

He stopped struggling for a moment to peer up at her in awe and fear. Her crazed blue eyes stared back down at him in fury; add that to her bangs and hair messed up and matted, plus her heavy breathing, she looked absolutely insane.

"Da-da-da. I'm dead," he thought hopelessly.

"You are DEAD, Haddock!" Astrid yelled. "I am gonna KILL you!"

Point confirmed.

"C-Can't we talk about-!?" He stopped short when she gripped him by the green tunic and forcefully yanked him upward. His noodle arms flailed at his sides uselessly, his legs seemingly had gone numb. A heavy punch in the face was his response, and the boy crumpled to the floor in a heap, pain spreading throughout the rest of his trembling body. Add that to the faint headache and stomachache he already had, he felt downright terrible. "Astrid...stop."

Astrid breathed heavily, her uncontrolled frenzy slowly flickering out when she took in Hiccup's pain, but leaving an unwavering fury dwelling within her. He groaned sluggishly, covering his now bruised cheek with one hand, the other supporting him as he tried to sit up.

Astrid's heart beat quickened to a rate it hadn't beat in a while, the last time being was when she wasn't picked to kill her first dragon. When Hiccup beat her. "You deserved that," she growled when he stared up at her in fear. "What you did-I'll never forget it, Haddock. I never will."

"W-What I did?" Hiccup gasped, his right cheek throbbing. As soon as he said it, he immediately regretted it. "A-Astrid! You know we never meant to do anything like that. It wasn't my fault!" She gave him a ferocious glare and he added meekly, "At least, not my fault...entirely."

"Oh yeah?" Astrid challenged, leaning over him. "You never meant to get me pregnant? To impregnate me with your-"

"NO! Nonono!" Hiccup insisted, cowering greatly underneath the dominating female. "You…you know me. I would never have done anything like that on purpose, and especially not behind my father's back. I'm better than that!"

"Well, who was the one who got us drunk?" She snarled, kicking his side, causing him to yelp. "Who got us so incarcerated that we were stupid enough to have sex? I've heard in some places the men drug the women's drinks so they can easily take advantage. And you know what? I think that might be the case here, _Hiccup_." He swallowed hard, noticing the way she spat out his name.

"Wait, you think _I_ did it?" Hiccup gasped, feeling so besmirched. He knew that she was mad at him, but he would've never guessed that she thought he of all people was the mastermind behind this. "L-Look, my memory of that night may be filled with as many holes as a fine Swiss cheese, but I swear I'm not that kind of guy," he protested. "I would never EVER do that to you!"

"Yeah?" She challenged once more, raising her foot to smash his stomach. "Thanks to you, my family now thinks that I'm some sort of promiscuous wench. T-That I'm not a proper girl!" Astrid swallowed hard, tears smarting at the corners of her icy blue eyes. "B-Because of you, my name in the village is just about tarnished. I could feel everyone staring at me when I came over here!"

Though Hiccup would never admit it to her, it _was_ rather hard to miss Astrid when she was thundering through the village with an axe in hand, complete with a murderous look on the side. It was quite a sight.

"Same here," Hiccup replied awkwardly, hating himself for saying so, because he wasn't the one with the evidence under his tunic. "I know... I get it. People were whispering about me when I was walking through the village." He closed his eyes, feeling extremely guilty, fists clenching and tears bubbling up behind his eyelids. Why on Berk wouldn't she believe him when he said he would never attempt to hinder her happiness?

"You have to believe me when I say that I would never hurt you on purpose! Be-Because of what you'd think of me, a-and what that'd do to us, to y-you mostly, and just because...I just…" He scrunched his eyes tighter, a single tear escaping. He quickly wiped it away with his sleeve. Why couldn't he be poetic and just speak his mind? "I just-just... I love you, Astrid!" He blurted. "W-Well, I mean-!"

Astrid paused, her boot hovering above his heaving abdomen, disbelief evident on her face. Her reaction was not what he anticipated. "You love me?" She scoffed. "I doubt it. We've only been together for like, two days."

"Y-You're right. That sorta just...slipped out. I meant that I've liked you for a much longer time than you might think," the Viking insisted nervously, propping himself up on his elbows. "Ever since we were little, y-you were the only one who really s-stood out. I-I mean, I think that um, you're the only one that's left a real impact on me, whether it was physically or mentally."

Despite her anger, Astrid smirked, knowing she had left behind a significant amount of bruises on his body in their lifetime. "I-I like you." After gazing into her gleaming blue eyes, he respectively bowed his head in submission. "I really like you," he confessed, "a lot. And I'm really, really sorry that you're...well...you know." He stopped, not knowing what else to say.

Astrid tilted her head to the side, looking for any indication that he was playing with her head. Was what he said, true? The warrior knew that Hiccup wasn't always one for being a good liar, and here he was, sputtering and beet-red in the face. Her eyes narrowed. Then again, he always sounded like this whilst speaking with her: awkward and shy. Perhaps he was telling the truth after all. Astrid rolled her eyes and flipped her bangs to the side. "You swear you're telling the truth?" She asked slowly, her voice bordering on the tone of a threat.

Hiccup nodded vigorously, his auburn hair bobbing in rhythm almost comically.

Astrid looked down upon for a moment more before crossing her arms and leering. "You'd better be. News spreads remarkably fast in Berk, wouldn't you say?"

Hiccup wasn't sure if she was trying to submit humor or irony into the conversation, but he grinned a dorky grin for her anyway, and to his great relief, she gave a small smile of amusement in return. "Don't think that I'm going to forgive you just yet for this." She gestured to her stomach.

"I don't blame you," the fourteen-year-old male sighed. "Can I stand up now?" The teenage girl gave a nod of encouragement and Hiccup grunted as he pulled himself up to his feet, er, foot. "So, um... Does this mean-OW!" Astrid had slugged him hard on the shoulder. "W-What was that for?" Hiccup breathed, rubbing tenderly at his shoulder. Even he knew that was a dumb question.

"That was for getting me pregnant, genius," Astrid reminded him through narrowed eyes. Hiccup felt silly waiting for the usual kiss that would follow after, because her piercing glare remained.

"_Great, I really blew it this time. Typical Hiccup the Screw-up_," he was tempted to say, but the boy held his tongue. "Um... Okay then," Hiccup said inelegantly, clasping his hands together. "Sh-should we get Gobber, or...?"

Astrid turned her nose in the air and bumped past him on her way to the door. Hiccup followed disappointedly, aware that she wasn't willing to forgive him just yet. He couldn't say he didn't blame her, though. "Hey Gobber!" Astrid shouted with deafening volume that made the other Viking's ears ring. "We've welded, or whatever it is you said we needed to do!"

There was the sound of fumbling about, and then Gobber's voice from the other side of the door. "Lemme hear Hiccup say something!" the muffled voice ordered, "Ah need to know if he's still alive en there."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and answered, "I'm fine, Gobber. Can we come out now?" The click of a lock coming undone was his response and he pushed the door open.

"Hiccup!" Gobber greeted happily, "Ye survived! Ah thought fer sure ye'd be a corpse by the end of et!"

Hiccup shrugged, trying his best not to lose his cool with the man. "Yeah, well Astrid and I talked, and I think we've come to a..." He glanced at Astrid. "...a stalemate of some sort." The girl gave him a look and he shrugged. It was the truth, after all.

Toothless bounded up to him, warbling happily to see that his master was still living. Hiccup grinned weakly as the dragon nuzzled him, and he held him close. "Don't worry about me, bud."

"Ahem," Astrid snorted and turned to Gobber with her hand outstretched. "You heard him. It's all good. I'll take my axe back now." The man shrugged and plucked said weapon from the top shelf, tossing it to her carelessly. She caught it with ease and turned her back to go.

"Hold on a moment, lass. That thing needs to be sharpened." The girl glanced at him penetratingly before observing her axe. The blade now looked blunt as could be, completely foil to the usually clean, sharp edge it earlier it possessed.

"Wha-? It didn't look like this when I arrived!" Astrid protested, rotating it in her hands. "It was perfectly fine before I got here, and I should know! I sharpened it just for the occasion." She glared at the blacksmith suspiciously.

"Yeah, she did. Trust me," Hiccup muttered, rubbing his neck. Gobber merely snickered, swiping the axe from the girl's hands once more. "Hey, give that back!"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Gobber laughed, wagging a finger at her. "Look at the state of that thing! It seems like somebody's hammered it in from both sides! It looks like your weapon of choice needs immediate repair. Why don't you stay awhile and let Hiccup fix it for you?" He asked pleasantly, shoving the axe in Hiccup's weakening arms. Astrid swiveled her gaze from Gobber's to Hiccup's, who nearly yelped at her abruptness.

"G-Gobber..." Hiccup muttered warningly. He had always adored the blacksmith and highly valued the way he solved problems, but this was beginning to worsen.

"Ah'm sure et'd be no trouble, ay Hiccup?" Gobber said, nudging the boy. Not meeting Astrid's eyes, the young Viking shook his head and cautiously carried the teenage girl's axe to the stone rotunda that would sharpen said weapon. The last thing he wanted was to spend more time in the presence of a person who'd tried to murder him earlier. But not wanting to make Astrid believe he wanted her gone, he carried out Gobber's wishes and began to sharpen the weapon.

Toothless parked himself right beside Hiccup, eyeing Astrid warily.

Knowing she couldn't do much to the male with the Nightfury guarding him, Astrid grunted and leaned back against a wooden beam with her rigid arms crossed, observing the chieftain heir with a scowl plastered on her face. Hmph. The runt was quieter than she expected him to be. She grinned inwardly. "I scared the living daylights out him," she chuckled to herself. "Good. He deserves it."

Hiccup's emerald eyes never left the axe; his head remained bowed in acquiescence. He was afraid of what Astrid might've done if he glanced up for even a moment. The last thing he wanted was to give her another excuse to beat him senseless a second time. However, even with his head bowed, Hiccup could feel Astrid's hard-set, unwavering stare eyeing him down, causing him to feel fairly uncomfortable indeed. "Just keep your eyes down," he thought to himself.

Unmistakably, Astrid disliked the silence Hiccup was exhibiting, since she started to inch her way closer to him. The other Viking pretended not to notice and continued on with his work. But it soon became clear she was not going to relent until he spoke up. Typical Viking stubbornness. He sighed in defeat, daring to tilt his head upward to gaze into her eyes. "Yes?"

"I want to know what your dad said," The girl stated curiously. "About all…this." She gestured to her stomach. "When I heard that your dad found out what we did, I thought you'd be exiled before you would even get a chance to defend yourself."

Hiccup's eyes flickered to her abdomen and sucked in a breath. "He was pretty mad at first, until it sunk in that you and I were pretty incoherent by the time we did…that." He blushed heavily at the prospect. "But he's not _that_ cruel."

"So he didn't punish you or anything?" Astrid asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "My parents won't be letting me ride Stormfly anytime soon. I just thought that because your dad is the chief and all-"

"-You thought my punishment would be worse?" Hiccup finished, cracking a small grin. "He hasn't exactly said anything to me yet, but I'm sure he's got something up his sleeve."

"Right," Astrid nodded, "I hope you get grounded. It's only fair."

"Pfft. Right…"

"How did you feel when he told you the news? Scared? Worried?" She folded her arms. "I want all the details, Haddock."

"As if that mattered," Hiccup muttered sarcastically. "Basically, he told me Gothi inspected you and the results were conclusive." He gulped, wondering whether or not he should tell her about his dad's plan for marrying them off without their consent. "I was…scared. I guess. I don't know. I'm not sure what to think at this point. But anyway, he started going off about responsibility, and strength, and… H-He, um…" He paused, taking a deeper breath before confessing, "It may come to be a bit of a shocker, but long story short, he informed me that we are going to be…w-wedded. So that way we could take care of our baby together."

The blonde stiffened considerably, and Hiccup held her axe close to his chest in case he needed to use it. Though, he would never actually hurt Astrid, even if he wanted to, which he didn't. "And…and then what?" she breathed, trying to see if he would fill in the empty void of her question.

Hiccup let out a big breath of air, not even realizing he had been holding it in.

"And then I came here," he continued, relieved that she hadn't even punched him yet.

"No," Astrid said, "I mean, what did you say?" Out of fear, Hiccup didn't answer, averting his gaze to the weapon that lay upon his lap. "Hiccup?" The girl placed a callused hand over the weapon and the boy flinched, his eyes meeting hers. His fear of her struck a chord in her heart. "I know this is going to sound weird and all, considering what I just did, but you don't need to pretend to be scared of me."

That got Hiccup's attention. He didn't need to pretend? _Pretend_? "I'm not pretending!" He blurted. Astrid blinked as if this was news to her. "I never pretended! Y-You DO scare me, Astrid!" He was beginning to get flustered all over again. "You're the most feared warrior I've ever met in my life! Why _wouldn't_ I be intimidated? I mean, when you're not punching me, you're threatening me, and when you're not doing THAT, I'm afraid you'll start threatening me, and when you're not doing THAT, you're trying to murder me, and when you're not doing THAT-MMPH!"

Astrid had been listening to all his rambling and found that the only way to shut him up was to press her lips against his. His emerald eyes popping, he struggled against her, but due to her stubbornness, their connection remained intact. Her right hand caught hold of his flailing, trembling one and held it warmly. Though distressed, Hiccup couldn't help the warmth that exploded across his face. Slowly pulling away, Astrid chuckled at the bewildered expression on his scarlet, freckled face. "You need to stop freaking out over everything," she teased, smoothly rubbing his cheek with her thumb.

Hiccup snapped out of his pleasure-induced trance and shot back dryly, "Oh, you're the one to talk. Besides, who wouldn't freak out about being a fourteen-year-old father?"

Astrid sneered at him and she raised her fist, preparing to slug him in the shoulder, but stilled. Did he honestly deserve another bruise for being concerned? For being...afraid? "Actually, you're right."

Hiccup did a double take. "I-I am?"

"Yeah," Astrid flipped her blonde bangs to the side, watching in amusement as the boy blushed. "I guess I do owe you one for the whole trying-to-chop-your-head-off escapade."

The male Viking smiled, cocking his head to the side. "You owe me a one-what?" He bit his tongue, careful not to enrage the girl any further.

Astrid gave him a tired look, signifying that she wasn't all too happy with what she was about to say. "Pfft...I'm sorry, Hiccup. Happy now?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, handing her the axe. "Sort of." Astrid took her weapon gratefully, shooting a nasty look at Gobber, who was watching the two. "I guess I'm still a little freaked out about the whole marriage thing. Based on what my dad said, he's gonna start planning it soon."

"Yeah, right," Astrid sighed. "And you agreed? Just like that?"

"I…I didn't really say anything," Hiccup admitted, scratching behind Toothless's ears. "I get that makes me sound weak, but it was a lot to take in, you know? Besides, he's the chief, who just so happens to be my father. I wasn't sure how to react. I mean, how did you feel when your parents told you that we...?"

"I wanted to kill you."

Great. "I'm honestly not that surprised, what with Snotlout overhearing what we did and all," the male Viking disclosed without thinking.

Astrid noticeably paled and she gasped, moving a hand to cover her mouth. "H-He heard us?" She whispered in shock to this new blow. Once again, she could feel her anger escalating as mortification washed over her like a tidal wave. "Is there anything else I need to know?" She snapped, not giving Hiccup a chance to answer. "That's so disgusting!" She tightened her grip on her axe and growled, "He better not tell any of the other dragon riders or so help me, if I ever catch that little, snot-faced rodent—"

"Hey lovebirds! I heard my name!" A familiar arrogant, haughty voice entered the already tense atmosphere and Hiccup couldn't help but mutter, "Oh Gods…" Snotlout strolled on up, the biggest smirk plastered on his face. There couldn't have been a worse time for him to make an appearance.

"Astrid—" Hiccup started to give her a warning, but Astrid had already pinned down the burly boy with her axe to his throat. Snotlout screeched in surprise and terror as the pressure increased on his jugular.

"Snotlout, I swear to the Gods," Astrid seethed, "If you even think about telling Fishlegs or the twins, you'll be pushing up daisies before you can even—"

"ASTRID!" The girl paused. Looking over her shoulder to find her partner standing over her, one of his freckled hands gently touching her own, the one holding the axe. "I don't think he told anyone other than my dad, okay? Just calm down, please. That's the second Haddock you've attacked today."

"Please, he couldn't fight me even if he wanted to," Astrid snapped, but reluctantly pulled away. Hiccup heard his cousin's sharp intake of breath. "And your family tends to get on my bad side."

Hiccup's emerald eyes narrowed as Snotlout tried to sit up, but failed miserably. "Look, the last thing we need to do is initiate a fight. He wasn't even involved."

Snotlout lay frozen at Hiccup's words, his heart beating fifty beats per second, if that was even physically possible. Did they know it was he who caused this entire problem? If that were the case, he'd be six feet under or set on a pyre. But no, Astrid was now getting up off of him, her expression remaining rigid, but her fists lowering. The hefty Viking finally sat up and scrambled to his feet. "Tell that to him," she snorted in detest, turning away.

The children barely noticed the blacksmith listening in on their conversations. Gobber, who was hammering away this whole time, was no longer paying attention to what the young teens were doing because he caught sight of the Chief approaching the Forge. "Stoick!" He greeted cheerfully, glancing over his shoulder to see if the teens had noticed, which they hadn't. "Heard yer goin' to wed Hiccup and Astrid. Good luck with that."

Stoick rolled his eyes, observing the children arguing with each other. They took no notice of him. "How is the lass taking it?" He asked in concern. After all, he knew that Astrid was famous for her somewhat uncontrollable temper and skills as a warrior. Even though he was ashamed to admit it, she could best his son in a fight easily.

Gobber shrugged. "Eh. She's not taking et too well. They've still got things that need to be worked out between the two of em'. As for Hiccup, well, he's still taking et en. Poor kids. They're far too immature for such a big responsibility of raising little ones."

"I raised Hiccup when I was two years his senior," Stoick bristled, not sure if this was to defend them or not, "If I could do it, I'm sure they can too. They just need proper guidance and instruction." Gobber raised an eyebrow. "They need to grow up."

"That's a lot to ask from two fourteen-year-olds," the blacksmith put in, stealing a glance at said teens. "Especially ones that are so wild and free-spirited. Ah know Hiccup, and he's not exactly what ye'd call mature. Not en a bad way or anything. But he tends to rush into things without thinking. No offense. Astrid es even more immature. At least he can keep a calm head en a tough situation. She just attacks people when she doesn't like what they're doing. How is she goin' to deal with a baby without firing up like a Monstrous Nightmare?"

Stoick was unnerved, although he could understand Gobber's concerns. "I believe Astrid will be fully capable of taking care of a baby. I'll teach my son all he needs to know," the chieftain insisted. "I know he can do it. He defeated the Red Death, he can do this."

"Oh yeah, he's always been good at _destroying_ things, but ah don't see how that's going to help with raising a child," Gobber pointed out, and then lowered his voice. "Not to mention, winter is coming. Astrid will have to give birth then."

Stoick nodded. "I've already thought of that, Gobber. Hiccup himself was born in the winter and _he_ survived, no matter how much of a fishbone he turned out to be."

"Pray to the Gods she doesn't need to deliver during a storm then," Gobber said. The chieftain nodded, having thought about it before. "The little one would never survive."

"I understand that, Gobber. But by that point in time, they would have already been married and sleeping under the same roof. My roof."

"Yer roof," Gobber repeated, tapping down his fake tooth with a hammer. "Yeah, again, good luck with that."

Stoick gave him a look, not sure if he was being insulted or not.

"So when is the wedding, eh?" Gobber asked, willing to change the subject. "Hiccup told me et'd probably be soon. Might as well get it done and over with before they're tempted to try anything nasty again."

"Gobber!" Stoick exclaimed, his eyes flaring. "The only reason Hiccup and Astrid did what they did we because of that blasted elixir. Nothing else!" He insisted, poking his friend in the chest. "I'm not quite sure when to schedule the ceremony, but the sooner they're wedded, the better." He sighed, "I'm worried about what the rest of the village thinks of it."

"The village?" Gobber raised an eyebrow. "Yer worried about what the _village_ thinks?"

"Yes, because what Hiccup does always reflects on me, and I don't want to be seen as a bad father because of it. And of course I want my son to be a good example for the other children. After all, he's going to be Chief someday. So I want to marry them off as soon as possible before people are convinced that what they did was vulgar."

"Ah don't think that's necessary, since the entire village has already got the word," Gobber pointed out. Stoick shifted slightly. "And what they did _was_ vulgar. But ye're the Chief. Whatever ye decide, ah'll stand by ye."

The chieftain smiled, relieved. "Good. I've made arrangements to speak to Astrid's mother and father about the marriage and strike a deal. I think the price of the bride will lower considerably, due to her state." His gaze drifted to his son, his cousin, and the girl, all-squabbling like Terrible Terrors competing for a salmon. "But I don't even mind that now. If the kids weren't planning to be wedded, Hiccup could have been in danger." It was Viking tradition, or habit. If an unmarried couple slept together, the girl's family had the right to murder the boy if he refused to marry their daughter. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. "I just hope it all works out."

"Ah'm sure it will," Gobber assured the other Viking. "We're Vikings! Ye always tell me that we can crush mountains, tame oceans-what's a wedding compared to all that?" Stoick chuckled.

"Aye, it's much more complicated than that, old friend," the chief said. "But thank you." The two adult Vikings looked over to the teens and laughed heartily. "Well, I'll leave you to them then," he said, turning his back to the Forge.

"Wait! Stoick!"

Stoick paused. "Yes, Gobber?"

The blacksmith motioned towards Hiccup and Astrid with a concerned gaze. "Ye aren't still separating them 'till the wedding, aren't ye?" Stoick shook his head and lumbered away.

"I believe it's too late for that now," the Chief muttered.

...

Snotlout was looking back and forth between the two with a smug smile. He had been eavesdropping on their conversation and couldn't help but join in to soak up the sweet, _sweet _degradation of what he had caused between the two of them.

Unfortunately, he arrived at a particularly bad time. Now he was busy trying to defend himself.

"Look, it wasn't my decision for you guys to make love in the Forge," Snotlout snapped. "That isn't my fault! I just happened to be walking along and just so happened to hear."

Astrid wasn't about to let him off so easily. "I don't care what you heard. You are NOT going to tell Fishlegs or the twins or anybody else about what happened, do you understand me?"

"Fine, fine," the boy waved off her order like it was nothing significant. "Sheesh. You gotta work on your anger management, Astrid. Before you try to hurt anyone else."

Astrid balled her fists, her patience at her wits end. "Thank you, Snotlout, for that observation," Hiccup said sarcastically, gently tugging his partner away from his cousin. "But I don't believe that's any of your business."

Snotlout snorted. "Not my business?" He asked.

"No, it isn't," Hiccup said stiffly. "As a matter of fact, my personal life isn't your business either."

"How is your personal life not my business?" The other male questioned haughtily, "We're family, remember? Cousins? Don't you think I'd have a right to know what's happening in your life? Don't you think that I should have the right to know what my cousin has been doing with his girlfriend?"

The fishbone of a Viking reddened considerably and exerted a look of sternness. "It's not a matter of rights, Snotlout. It's a matter of trust."

Snotlout rolled his eyes and huffed in annoyance. "Please, it's not like I don't know what's going on. My dad was told by Stoick this morning." It was all Hiccup could do to keep from rolling his eyes. There were no secrets on Berk these days.

"You two are being separated as punishment for your actions," the burly boy said with a smirk. "But by the looks of it, you aren't exactly following the law, are you?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "You haven't been updated on our punishment, haven't you?" He asked dryly.

Snotlout crossed his arms, his eyes locked to the ground. "Yes. Maybe. Not." He sighed. "No." He instantly brightened. "Are you being exiled?" He asked Hiccup, who groaned in exasperation and smacked his own forehead at his cousin's sadistic eagerness to see him in peril. Astrid scoffed and crossed her arms.

"We're getting married, yak-brain," she revealed to the other Viking. "Happy now?"

Snotlout's reaction to her revelation was instantaneous and priceless. His chiseled jaw immediately dropped, his eyes bugging out to such an extent that one could see all the whites around his irises. "Wait... WHAT?!"

Even though Astrid was extremely angry at Hiccup's cousin and wanted more than ever to use her axe on him, she couldn't help but smirk and try to stifle a laugh at the completely bewildered expression on his face. She was no stranger to Snotlout's jealousy towards Hiccup when he had earned her affection and ended the three hundred yearlong war single-handedly...with a bit of help from the other riders. So she decided to enjoy the moment. It was the closest she could get to revenge with Hiccup standing there.

"Yep, that's right," she smirked, "Hiccup and I are going to be husband and wife soon and we'll be living together." Snotlout continued to stare. "Hey Snotface, put a cork in it!"

The boy closed his mouth and bit his lip, his gaze slowly flickering to the ground. "Married?" He said in total disbelief. His brows furrowed. "Yeah, right! I don't believe for a second that Chief would let you guys be together after what you did. It's the law."

"Yeah, well the law expired, Snotlout," Hiccup said, crossing his stick-thin arms. Snotlout's look hardened.

"I wasn't talking to you, Useless!" He snarled, shaking a fist threateningly at the other boy.

"You are now," Hiccup shot back. "And I'm not useless, in case you haven't been up-to-date on that subject either."

Snotlout clenched his fists, furious. He could do it. Whack Hiccup so hard that he'd see stars and shove him to the ground, pounding his stupid face in until it was black and blue. But he couldn't. Not with Astrid there. "Whatever," he mumbled, surprising Hiccup by stalking away.

**A/N: Ugh... Fanrats... My thumbs hurt. You may not know this, but I type every single one of my stories on my iPhone, and it's starting to take effect on my poor digits. *thumb cramps* UGH! Kill me now. The next few chapters may take a little bit more time to write because I need to do more research on Viking traditions and weddings. We'll also get a taste of what the other teenagers think of Astrid and Hiccup's problem. Stay tuned, my readers. You will NOT be disappointed.**

**Ps: Any ideas for future details or controversy? Any at all? Leave a review and tell me what you think!**

**P.S.S: And while you're at it, please do your old pal Emma a favor and add my story to your favorites! Or follow it! Whatever floats your boat.**


	3. Mishap by Group

**A/N: More everlasting thumb-labor! Yay... Anyways, I'm so happy that you Fanrats are enjoying the story as much as you are. You all seemed to be pretty curious about how the teens were going to find out about the little "problem". I promise we'll delve deeper into Snotlout's point of view so we can eventually hear a bit more from him.**

**This chapter takes place a few weeks after the squabble between our favorite trio. And to those who were wondering: no, Snotlout doesn't know that Astrid's pregnant just yet. All he knows is that he was the cause.**

**travellerofadifferentpath: There's nothing more satisfying than the sight of Snotlout in pain. Ha, what an idiot. And I'm excited for the next chapter of Hiccup's life as well! Stay tuned!**

**TheForesakenTwist: I know, Astrid's directing her anger at the wrong person. And I'll think about that ring idea. *smirks evilly* **

**FluentFletcher2: I'm glad you thought so! These characters are just so fun to write for. And don't worry I fixed that spelling mistake.**

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: Yes, it's excruciating to do. I'm typing on my phone as we speak. I hope you're not too upset. XD**

**Midoriko-sama: Thank you! And yeah, I've read up a lot about Vikings and read a few stories with that as the case. You're right, that doesn't apply here, but if it did I would feel like I'd be stealing the plot from "Unplanned", another Hiccstrid story. Thank you for your input and I will check out the Viking answer lady. It sounds interesting.**

**Ps: Your second review really made me think. I know Astrid's reaction was unfair towards Hiccup, and I suppose it could have gone both ways: either she hurts him or she protects him, what with him being the Hero of Berk and all that. I find it kinda funny how you're asking all of these questions that I can't answer you mainly because of spoilers. Keep your shirt on cowboy, only three chapters have been written so far. XD And do I intend to make this story serious and political? Interesting question, and not necessarily... Believe me, it is serious, but I try to keep it simple without excluding any important factors. It's a pain for me to look into the tiniest details, like all those plot holes, but those get in the way for me. I would like the story to focus mainly on the relationships between Snotlout, Astrid, the baby, and Hiccup. I promise that I've taken everything you've said under serious consideration and I thank you sincerely for the helpful input you've given me. It helps a lot.**

**MHJohn64th: That's totally fine, dude! XD I can't tell you how many times I've gotten someone's gender or race wrong on the Internet. And it seems weird to ask if they are a boy or girl. It's a little odd. It surprises me that most the authors here are male. I thought there would be a ton more FANGIRLS here than Fanboys, but hey. And I have so much fun writing Hiccup in his Hiccup-y glory. May he kick Snotlout's butt forever!**

**Ps: I'm sure that Snotlout will get his butt kicked sometime in the future. Funny how everyone's interested in that, rather than the baby. But, what else is new? XD**

**Nonametologin: You should get an account just to favorite this story. Haha! Just kidding. But seriously, thank you for your kindness.**

**SharKohen: A bloodthirsty Astrid makes you smile? A tortured Hiccup makes ME smile. We would make quite a team!**

**Hugsn'XXX's: Thank you for your contribution, and I'll take it under deliberation.**

**jadesunset: Thank you so much for reviewing again! I wanna hug you through the screen so badly. Ha! You won't be disappointed for this chapter! And keep your fingers crossed; you just might get your wish.**

**alpha darkwolf: Yeah, I suppose I could have looked up the effects of consuming whatever they drank, but I was too cool for that. I believe the elixir did wonders on their brains, and I sincerely doubt they'll remember anything until he tells them himself. But thanks for pointing that out; I would never have thought of that. And you write your stories on a tablet? Yeesh. We should earnestly start a finger-cramp club. Thanks for sticking with the story so far, and I hope you keep reading and reviewing.**

**G: Thanks for the review, and awwwwww! Stop, your making me blush!**

**CassandraDayTree: But I AM begging for cramps!**

**Another big "thank you" for the reviews, my precious little Fanrats! Enjoy the story! And I apologize for the ridiculously long author's note.**

**May I remind you all: There is no swearing in my world, so keep your reviews clean and free of foul language.**

* * *

_**Chapter Three: Mishap by Group**_

A sunny day for Berk was recondite, due to early winter and all. With interminable torrents of rain, hail, and snow, the chances of a sunny day were dwindling into single digits. But for one reason or another, today the birds were merrily chirping, the sun was shining, and a tarrying cool breeze gently was wafting through the foliage alongside a fresh aroma of pine.

So far, the weather had been lovely, and while it could be a little warmer, nobody was complaining. Who could, dwelling in abnormally harsh conditions?

In a matter of months, winter storms would arrive, and Berk would be under siege by a merciless barrage of snow and ice. Well, technically it was winter already, but devastating winter wasn't for another couple of months. So because of this unexpected little gift, the Berkians were cheerier than usual. The weather had planted a seed of optimism.

At the Dragon Training Academy, the teens were situated with their dragons, ready for a day of erudition and drill. Habitually, both Fishlegs and Astrid were eager for to learn while the twins and Snotlout would much rather beat up on one-another than pay attention. For Hiccup, class provided a huge bout of relief and a decent distraction from what lay ahead in his future.

A few days ago, Stoick the Vast arranged a meeting with Astrid's mother and father about the marriage. It had gone well enough, Astrid's father, Egil, being most agreeable about the marriage contract and bride price. And it was no secret that he was quite excited and admittedly proud by the fact that their status would become greater in value within the village because their daughter was marrying the Chief's little hero of a son. For Vikings, marriage was as a means for forging alliances with other families. A marriage meant a chance for the bride's family to make an alliance with one of the most important families.

However, her mother Helga was a different story. Armed by the same aggressiveness as her daughter and the familiar "attack first-ask questions later" demeanor, the woman seemed dense around Stoick and sent him hard glares. It was evident that she was still upset about her daughter.

"Ah do hope yer telling th' truth about yer son, Stoick," Helga had stiffly proclaimed during the discussion with the Chief, who didn't faze her one bit with his size _or_ authority. "Now, Ah don't know much about him, -_(other than the clumsy reputation he'd built up over the years)_\- but ah know that Astrid would never attempt such a vulgar act on her own."

Stoick narrowed his eyes. "Aye," he agreed, deeply insulted by the hint she made of the ludicrous suggestion that his son might have invoked such an act. "I believe Astrid is a good, proper lass and yeh must believe me when I say that Hiccup is a proper, well-behaved boy. Neither of them would have done this on their own accord. They were intoxicated."

"Exactly!" Helga snapped, too spitefully for his tastes. "Why in Asgard would they have come across such a drink? Not on their own. Surely, one of _higher_ authority would-" sh paused to lick her lips. "-...Who gave mah daughter that elixir Stoick?" She continued in a softer, deeper tone.

The Chief before her took off his helmet to smooth his braided hair back. "I've spoken to my son, Lady Hofferson. He insisted that he remembers nothing about how they came across the elixir or of what happened afterwards," Stoick explained patiently. "It's strange, I agree. But what matters now is not how they came across the elixir. We have bigger fish to fry. Our first priority should be their future together as husband and wife, and their baby."

"...I suppose." Helga folded her toned arms and raised an eyebrow in suspicion at the man. It was inevitable that she was going to continue to fuss over the subject long after this. "I trust that he's aware of our law, Stoick?"

At this, Egil bit his bottom lip that was already chewed a cherry-red from his reckless worrying, and his azure eyes flickered guiltily away to the wooden floors of his home.

"Hiccup? Oh, yes. And eh, what law would that be?" Stoick asked carefully, a tad concerned by Egil's sudden discomfort.

"The law that gives us the right to take yer boy into our hands, of course," the woman elucidated, clearly and calmly. "If a young lad and a young lady consummate before marriage, then I as the mother of Astrid have the right to...serve justice to Hiccup in my own way, whether he's Chief's son or not. Catch mah drift?"

Stoick felt his stomach clench. He was well aware of this law and had been thinking about it earlier with impending anxiety. He nodded stiffly at the horrendous thought and held up a large hand to calm her. "I do," he assured. "Perfectly. But there's no need for it. My boy and your girl will be wedded in a matter of a week or two. The law will serve no purpose here." Helga's brows furrowed into a deep scowl. Stoick wasn't sure if he was imagining things, but he could've sworn he saw Egil release an exhale of relief along with his tensed stance instantly relaxing. "So, have we come to a justly agreement, Hoffersons?"

Helga said nothing, but Egil jumped on Stoick's question gratefully. "Oh yes," he happily conceded, immoderately hurried. "I think this will get along just fine. Astrid will be staying under yer roof after the marriage, yes?" He sighed, stroking his tan beard. "Mah little girl... I never thought she'd grow up so fast."

The Viking chief smiled in fatherly understanding and roughly patted the other man's shoulder. "Aye, I feel the same way. My lad's been through so much in such a short amount of time. It's hard to believe that our children are still so young. Time flies."

When Helga's glare didn't waver, he made a mental note to himself to remind his son to err on the side of caution when around Astrid's mother.

"What about the child?" Helga asked suddenly, catching the attention of both men. "Devastating winter is due about the same time Astrid is due for birth. Is it any concern of yers if she will live or not?"

"Of course it is," Stoick assured her. "Trust me. Your daughter will be in good hands." He sighed inwardly, wondering if Helga would cause any future unwelcome or harmful situations. It seemed as though she had developed an unhealthy grudge against his son.

...

That was exactly what Hiccup was thinking about as he stepped towards the center of the ring: Helga. The woman was known around the village for having a rather beastly temper and her ability to wield an array of weapons ranging from hammers to bolas. And after all this time, she had a particular resentment towards Hiccup, Red Death defeated or not. But could he really blame her for not taking a liking to him when Astrid was now carrying his child?

Astrid. The big token of the whole ordeal had unexpectedly arrived at class that morning.

Hiccup was puzzled over her appearance, figuring that since her mother and father had grounded her from Stormfly, she might not have bothered to show up at all. Yet, here she was, fresh, cool, but maybe not as collected as usual.

The young Viking speculated that maybe she just showed up to be a good sport. Or perhaps she didn't mind learning without her dragon by her side, or maybe it was just to make an appearance. He wasn't sure. She looked a bit on the grumpy side without her signature weapon in her hands.

But those theories were proven wrong when he noticed the intense glower she was shooting at Snotlout. He realized she was present to make certain that he would not spill the beans about the marriage or...the other thingie. The blonde teen hung out on the side, leaning against the stonewall of the arena, watching her partner teach every now and then before turning her attention back to Snotlout.

Hiccup was grateful for her presence. There was no telling what his cousin would say or do to him if she was absent.

It had been a while since either of them had talked to Snotlout, and Hiccup thanked Odin above that his cousin hadn't told any of the other teens about the whole ordeal. It was something that he wanted to tell them _himself_ when the time was right. So in the meantime, he wished for everyone who knew about the situation to keep quiet. The adults of the village gossiped amongst themselves, but there were two Viking adults that never discussed the matter in front of their children. Namely the parents of Fishlegs, and the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Hiccup thanked them for that.

It was surprising that Snotlout hadn't blabbed off yet. Maybe he realized how dire the situation was and decided to keep quiet for their sake. Hiccup almost snorted at the theory. No. It was because of Astrid. If she weren't so violent, he was sure that Snotlout would have told the teens already.

"_But look on the bright side,_" he thought to himself. "_At least Snotlout doesn't know about the baby_."

With that set aside, the fourteen-year-old was taken aback that his fiancé would risk her own fettle to be at the erstwhile killing arena. By dint of the baby, her healthiness had depleted over the last couple of weeks. She had begun a daily downward spiral routine of stomach cramps, headaches, and getting ill in the morning. It was driving her crazy that she could no longer exert herself in the physically-challenging exercises with the rest of the group. It was odd to live without bearing herself to the best of her ability, and Astrid hated the sudden limitation beyond belief.

So far, the twosome remained at a stalemate, neither one knowing how to approach the other without a deadlock tête-à-tête ever since that day at the Forge. For the last couple of weeks, there had mostly been on-and-off "hellos", awkward fumbles of sentences that were supposed to be conversational, and then lingering "goodbyes".

"_There's no telling how long it'll last,_" Hiccup thought. _"At least she's not threatening to murder me."_ Today, he could finally get his mind off of all that.

"Good morning class," the teen greeted cheerfully, stepping in front of the rockboard. "Everyone having a good day?"

Murmurs of casual "yeahs" and "sures" collected while one child remained silent. Snotlout. He looked more bummed out than usual, continuously staring this dead-eyed stare at Hiccup. Most of the teenagers noticed but shrugged it off as Snotlout just being the jerk he was. But it was much more than that.

Snotlout could _not_ believe that his plan had backfired so badly on him. The outcome had literally been the opposite of what he had been scheming, and now with knowledge that his scrawny cousin was going to get married to the girl of his dreams, it was unbearable.

Hiccup was situated in the center of the ring as usual, pretending not to notice Snotlout's furrowed, penetrating glare aimed at him. He had a hunch as to why Snotlout was steaming and made a promise to himself to ignore it. "Well, get excited people. I hope you've all studied hard and read the Book of Dragons as I assigned, because today, we're going to have a pop quiz about Gronkles and their habitats!" He announced, clapping his hands together. Groans and complaints followed suit, except for Fishlegs, who grinned excitedly.

"C'mon!" Tuffnut complained. "Why do we have to take quizzes while we're still alive?" Ruffnut nodded vigorously in agreement with her brother.

"Yeah!" She said, "There are like, a _million_ other things we could be doing to train and this is how you teach us? I feel cheated."

Hiccup rolled his eyes at the twins' conducts. "Seriously, every time?" he asked in exasperation. He snuck a glance at Snotlout, who kept silent.

"Hey, guys, the tests aren't that bad," Fishlegs defended, to no one's surprise. He in particular always loved to show off his spectacular comprehension of dragons by acing every test or pop quiz that came along. "Common knowledge should be your first priority when it comes to the Academy and your dragons. The tests and pop quizzes are meant to prepare you and we should be thankful for that. Besides," he added with a hint of provocation, "It shouldn't really be a problem if you actually paid attention once in awhile."

Tuffnut crossed him arms and huffed. "Untrue," he denied. "Totally untrue. I pay attention all the-hey, check out that cloud." A wan smile stretched across his jawline as he pointed to the sky. "Heh. Looks like a bunny..."

Hiccup rolled his emerald eyes yet again at Tuffnut's antics and smiled at Fishlegs, happy that he had come to his defense. Out of all the other teens, he understood Hiccup's intentions behind these tests and appreciated them gratefully. "Thank you, Fishlegs. At least someone gets it."

"That one looks like a fox..."

"You're very welcome, Hiccup," Fishlegs replied and turned to his dragon, Meatlug. "Ooh, do you hear that girl?" He cooed in a baby voice. "The test is all about you and yer adowable wittle dwagon fwiends!" The large Gronkle warbled in happiness and lapped her master on the cheek.

Snotlout snorted in disgust at the geeky display and crossed his arms, speaking for the first time that morning. "Yay for us," he muttered sarcastically, catching everyone's attention. "Let's just get the stupid thing over with. I've got better things to do than sit around and listen to a talking fishbone."

The arena immediately went silent after his snide comment, and even the dragons quieted. His remark was so absurdly sudden, that everyone jerked their gazes toward him with astonishment. They then turned their attention back to Hiccup, waiting to see what he'd say in response to this bolt from the blue.

"Yeah?" He asked, amused. "Like what?"

Snotlout paused, biting his lip. He hadn't really thought of that. "Stuff..." He slowly replied.

"What kind of stuff?" Astrid smirked half-heartedly.

Snotlout rolled his shoulders casually. "Super cool stuff that you as a chick wouldn't understand."

Having heard this excuse many times before, Hiccup was greatly annoyed. "Oh, this again?" He rolled his eyes. "You know, if you don't want to take the quiz, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to fail you."

"Oh no!" Snotlout mocked in a whiny voice. "My pathetic wittle cousin might give me a failing grade! What-EVER." He crossed his bulky arms in usual smugness. "Do you honestly think I even care?"

"Uh, actually I do." Hiccup crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at his cousin's aggressive retort. "And I'm sorry I have to do so, Snotlout. You should have studied-"

Here, Snotlout cringed, his body tensed unpleasantly, and his taunting demeanor dimmed. "What, you really think I didn't study?" He paused, rethinking what he proclaimed. "Well, okay, maybe I didn't," he amended.

Tuffnut sniggered and Fishlegs sighed. "What else is new?" He muttered under his breath with an obvious eye-roll.

Fishlegs's snide remark only fueled Snotlout's temper. "I'm not upset about the stupid test!" he shouted suddenly, shaking a fist at his cousin, who stiffened. Everyone jolted by the sudden alteration of atmosphere as it departed from uncomfortable to overwrought. The boy's temper had escalated rather quickly, detaching from his usual smugness to serious anger. "The tests are stupid anyways."

"The tests aren't stupid—"

"Puh-LEEZE!" Snotlout threw his head back, laughing loudly. "They are."

"No, they're not."

"Yes they are!"

"Actually, they're not."

"Actually, they're stupid!"

"I don't think a _test _is stupid, Snotlout. I think it's a person who can't pass them."

Snotlout bared his teeth in a mock smile. "That so? That so, loser? I don't care what you have to say to me, _Useless_!"

The teens winced at the use Hiccup's old title, the one all the teens had deemed Hiccup when they were younger, or at least before he had conquered the largest dragon in history. Hiccup had successfully proven to each and every Berkian that he was not so useless after all-so what was the point of using it now if it meant nothing?

"Snotlout, that's enough!" Astrid chided from her corner of the ring. She slowly began to approach the others. "What's wrong with a simple test here and there?"

And a follow up question: what on Berk was wrong with Snotlout? He wasn't usually brutally aggressive _this_ early on in the argument. That would come later at the climax of the fight. Fishlegs's mind flashed back to the celebratory dinner a few weeks before and wondered if Snotlout's hostility somehow connected with that. He had little time to ponder over it, because Snotlout looked ready to bash his cousin.

Little did the other dragon riders know, Snotlout was beginning to crack. All of this was too much. Too much. Far too much.

Once again, he could only ask himself, why couldn't he have been the hero instead his runty cousin? Why couldn't Astrid come to her senses? Why couldn't he have been the one to kill his first dragon? Why couldn't he have been the one to shoot down the Nightfury? These questions had kept him up for the last couple of nights, much like the news that kept Hiccup awake. Anger and jealousy was starting to obscure his other senses, erasing all common sense from his mind.

"Exactly. So will you stop it?" Hiccup raised his voice in frustration, taking a tentative step toward the other male with his lanky arm outstretched. "I'm doing this all for you, you know. Teaching you about Hookfang, how-h-how to train him, how to defend yourself against attacks from enemies—that's all for you and this is how you treat me? I'm not asking for much, Snotlout. Just a little respect."

Snotlout gritted his teeth until he was sure they would break from the amount of pressure he was exerting on them. The twins watched him in mesmerization. Ruffnut roughly elbowed her brother and whispered, "Looks like we're not gonna have a test today."

"I know," he sniggered in response, not at all disappointed, "Snotlout looks like he's about to bust his helmet. Check out that angry shade of red!"

"Like you even deserve my respect!" Snotlout fired back, "You may have the rest of the village swooning at your feet, but that doesn't apply to Snotlout!" He gestured to himself and flexed a bicep.

"Oh, for the love-" Hiccup shut his eyes in embarrassment and palmed his forehead. He found it rather awkward to have people referring to him as a God-like hero. He was a humble person, so it simply wasn't harmonious with his accord. "I don't want anyone swooning at my feet. I'm satisfied with being treated like a human being, thank you very much."

Snotlout sneered. "I don't believe you deserve that either, Useless!"

"Would you stop calling me that?!" Hiccup cried with a cringe, anger bubbling up inside of him. "I'm not useless, and you know it!"

Noticing the severe loss of decorum and patience, Astrid decided to step in before one of them snapped. "Alright, guys, that's enough!" She firmly proclaimed, stepping in between the two and shooting an intense glare at Snotlout. While it was clear that she could initiate a fight whenever she wanted, she could also end them. Pregnant or not. "This is stupid. Let's just take that test already and call it a day." The twin's smiles disappeared and they groaned while Fishlegs sighed in relief.

Hiccup sighed and rubbed his forehead. She was right. What was he doing? Quarreling with his cousin in the middle of class... His freckled cheeks burned with embarrassment at the immaturity he displayed. "You're right. You're right." This was ridiculous. Snotlout and Hiccup's squabbling couldn't get in the way of training. He made a mental note to himself to thank Astrid for halting the argument before it escalated. "You're right. Let's get to that test." Another groan.

"Not so fast!" Snotlout snapped, lightly pushing past the girl to go face-to-face with his hated relative. The twins smiled again, nudging each other, grinning happily. Astrid was about to retaliate, but Hiccup gave her a warning look that said, _"I got this_".

"I'm taking a stand, right here, right now, Hiccup," Snotlout started, not even bothering to control the rage inside.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, fed up. "Please then. Enlighten us of this said "stand"."

Snotlout steamed and with all the teens looking at him expectantly, he barked, "I'm sick of you!"

Unexpected hurt flashed across the boy's freckled face for a brief moment before reverting back to its original angry flush. "You're sick of me? What a surprise..." He grumbled in annoyance, wondering why his cousin couldn't behave just for once. "Just-Odin _above_... Snotlout, for the last time, l don't have time for this. Just go back with Hookfang-"

"And that's another thing," Snotlout interrupted heatedly. "You aren't the boss of me!"

Hiccup blinked and shook his head clear. "Um, wha-?"

"You heard me!" Snotlout yelled in his face, causing Hiccup to take a cautious step back. "I am my own boss. I don't need you constantly ordering me around. I'm sick of seeing your face, I'm really sick of hearing your weird voice, and I'm really, really sick of hearing your name!" He poked a meaty digit against his cousin's boney chest with each insult, causing him to step back further and further. Astrid found it harder and harder to keep her hands still.

"W-What are you-?"

"Oh, Hiccup's so smart," Snotlout continued in a mocking voice to portray what he had overheard the villagers gossiping about, "Hiccup's so brave! He trained the dragons, he killed the Red Death, and he's got the metal leg!" _He's marrying Astrid._

Hiccup took a start, shocked at what he was hearing. Even though he was quiet about how he felt about the missing limb, everyone was aware it was still a sensitive topic to him. "M-Metal leg?" He gasped, his voice then taking on an angry tone, "That's what's bothering-that's where you're going?! Metal leg?!"

"No!" Snotlout yelled, flinging his arms in a fit of hostility. "It's everything the leg is attached to-" His voice malice with venom, he gestured to his cousin, who was beginning to lose his cool, "-Sir Skin-and-Bones." Hiccup bristled.

Astrid actually gasped and covered her mouth; frantically torn between stepping in or letting them work it out themselves.

But...what Snotlout was saying to Hiccup had set the bar low. She was sure that her partner would flip and made a note to physically get involved if that happened. But to her relief, he didn't.

"Sir Skin-and-Bones, huh?" Determined to be the bigger person in the trivial matter, Hiccup calmly folded his lanky arms and raising an eyebrow at his brawny cousin, he quipped, "Well, thank you for that. Anything else you'd like to share, Mr. Cousin-of-little-decency?"

Snotlout began to sputter, getting up in the auburn-haired boy's face, who stiffened. He hated it when Hiccup appeared to be unaffected by his insults. "What do you think?" He snarled. "I just... I'm embarrassed to be related to you-I-I... I hate you!"

His plan was ruined, gone up in flames. His cousin took away the most beautiful thing away from him, and now he could never have it. This was his fault. And he was going to pay, somehow.

There was another silence, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. The tension in the air was so heavy and thick that one could cut it with a knife. Snotlout stood dense before his conflicted relative; still steaming in stony anger while said cousin bit his lip, conflict flashing across his usually calm complexion.

Astrid looked back and forth between the two, still unsure if she should have bothered interfering at that point. Hiccup's expression was unmistakable: a mixture of shock, betrayal, hurt, and anger.

Tuffnut whistled lowly under his breath. "Ouch." Even he wouldn't say that to his sister.

Fishlegs opened his mouth to say something, but Hiccup beat him to it.

"Leave."

Everyone did a double take, his or her eyes widening at the dragon rider. Snotlout blinked and shook his head clear, brows furrowing into an ugly expression. "W-What did you just say to me?" He gasped, his normally low voice going a few octaves higher.

Hiccup bit his lip. He hadn't intended to sound so rash, but anger had gotten in the way along with the shock of what Snotlout had said to him. Hiccup always knew that his cousin had certain resentment toward him and was jealous of his soon-to-be chieftain status, but he hated him? _Hated_ him? That was unexpected, and it hurt him deeply to hear it. "I told you to leave," the auburn-haired boy repeated firmly and crossed his scrawny arms. "You're suspended from the Academy until your attitude cha-no, until it _improves_."

Astrid let out a slight chortle of disbelief, hand covering her mouth. Suspension? This was too good. "You heard him, Snotface," she growled. The twins elbowed each other repeatedly, grinning like maniacs, and Fishlegs' mouth fell open, unsure if he should make a show of how relieved he was.

"Wha-Why?!" Snotlout sputtered, angry over that fact Hiccup sounded just like a father scolding a little child. Just like the last conversation he had with his cousin, he wanted to beat him.

Hiccup replied with disbelief, "D-Did you seriously just ask me that with a straight face?" No answer.

"Well, I can think of a good few reasons, and here they are: you just disrupted the entire class, insulted me, threatened me..." He counted his cousin's wrongdoings off his fingers. "Doesn't all that get old after a while? C'mon Snotlout, this has been going on since we were like, five!" The twins snickered, excitedly anticipating the violence that was sure to come. "Dear Thor, you could've at least waited until after class. Point blank: you're grounded."

That last little bit pushed Snotlout over the edge to the point where he could've cared less if Astrid was present. He could do it. Shove Hiccup to the ground, pounce, and beat the living tar out of his cousin until he was unrecognizable. But logic kicked in a bit. He couldn't. Again, with Astrid present, he could only attack Hiccup verbally. And even that would sometimes risk a good punch to the gut.

He grinned a terrible grin, and shoving a finger in Hiccup's freckled face, while not caring if his partner was going to kill him or not, he snarled, "Don't you think you could've waited until after marriage?" There was a beat. He smirked as a muscle under Hiccup's left eye jumped, the boy taking a sharp intake of breath. Toothless warbled in worry at his human's odd behavior.

"Snotlout..." Hiccup warned slowly, his scrawny body tensing up in nervousness. Surely his cousin would not go that low and spill the beans...would he? "Don't..." The other teenagers took immediate interest, actually leaning forward to listen to what stumped Hiccup.

"What? Waited for what?" Ruffnut queried in curiosity.

"N-Nothing. Unrelated," Hiccup waved off dismissively, but Snotlout wasn't finished.

"Oh I don't know," Snotlout gibed. "I think the other dudes deserve to know. Unless...you unground me?"

The burly Viking knew he'd hit the right chink in the armor, because his cousin's face was quickly reddening. "Oh, look at that," he chuckled sadistically. "Blackmail. I didn't expect we would ever come to that." Hiccup's emerald eyes grew frantic and he glanced at Astrid, who was struggling with all her might not to strangle the boy before her. This was way too horrible, even for Snotlout. He didn't think his cousin would go that far.

"Snotlout, don't," he pleaded under his breath and his heartbeat quickened. "Just please don't."

"Don't what?" Snotlout smiled, clearly enjoying Hiccup's distress. "What don't you want me to do?" He pressed, leaning in. "Well?"

Hiccup went silent, emerald eyes flickering to the side, avoiding his cousin's smug face. Astrid began taking deep breaths, telling herself to count to ten before she did something drastic.

"You don't want to tell them?" The arrogant smirk on Snotlout's face grew at his cousin's quietness. "Or better yet," he continued, "why don't I tell them myself?" Hiccup bit his lip and Fishlegs glanced at him in confusion.

"T-Tell us what?" The large boy whispered. "B-Because if it's bothering Hiccup that much, then I don't want to hear it!" Hiccup marveled at his friend's loyalty.

The other male never even got a chance to answer, because Astrid leapt forward and wrapped her callused fingers around Snotlout's thick neck, yanking him to the stony ground. "Don't even think about it, Jorgenson!" She hissed, pinning him with her toned legs. The twins both whooped with excitement and Fishlegs squealed in terror at her abrupt attack that caught everyone off-guard. "If you breath a WORD-!"

"Astrid stop!" Two panicked, lanky arms wrapped around her ribcage and yanked her off of Snotlout, who gasped for air. "That's enough!" It was Hiccup who had tugged her away, and was now desperately trying to hold her back, while at the same time trying to be gentler because of her state. She flailed, still attempting to punch at the fallen Viking. "Let me GO, Hiccup!" She bellowed through her gritted teeth, swinging her arms wildly. "I'm gonna kill him!"

"_Hormones_," Hiccup thought miserably as he struggled with the female Viking. "_**Please** just let it be hormones_." Aloud, he tried to reason with her, "No! T-There-There are other ways around this! _Repercussions_!" Hiccup was more thankful than ever that Astrid's parents had taken away her axe along with Stormfly as punishment. Gods knew what would have become of his cousin if she still had it in her possession.

Snotlout scrambled to his feet and stared at Astrid through narrowed eyes. "Good Loki! K-Keep that girlfriend of yours under control," he sputtered carelessly. Astrid let out another enraged yell at his comment.

"Guys! Please stop fighting!" Fishlegs pleaded, holding onto Meatlug for his own safety. The twins were laughing and jeering at Snotlout, who staggered a few feet away.

"Yeah! More drama!" Tuffnut yelled happily. "Keep it coming!" Hookfang watched calmly, making no indication that he was going to rescue his master from Astrid's clutches.

Astrid couldn't keep it together. With the combination of the fear of Snotlout revealing the truth, being held back from preventing said truth from being spilled, the pleading of Fishlegs for her to stop, the constant jeers of the twins, the orders of Hiccup for her to stop, the out of control hormones... It became too much for the blonde to handle. With a sudden burst of energy in a blind rage, she ripped an arm away and swung. "Hiccup, GET OFF OF ME!" Astrid screamed, finally managing to wrench her whole body away from his tight grip by socking him in the nose. Hard. Hiccup was stunned, blood instantly spurting from his nostrils as he staggered backward in a daze.

"OH! _OUCH_!" Ruffnut gasped, watching in sadistic wonder as Astrid faltered in her stance, torn between going after Snotlout and apologizing to Hiccup, who had just fallen back on his haunches. Toothless cried out and hurried over to his master's side. He growled at the shocked girl, stretching a midnight wing over Hiccup for protection.

Astrid snapped out of her anger-induced trance, opening and closing her mouth a few times, but no sound escaping her lips. She swallowed, the gravity of what she had just done slowly sinking in. She shot Snotlout a sideways glance, who'd begun to slink away from the ring. "_Yeah, leave before I strangle you," _she thought menacingly._ "If I had my axe, it'd be embedded in your-"_

A weakened groan interrupted her thoughts. She blinked, a look of terror overcoming her angry facial expression. "O-Oh Thor! Oh, Odin's Ghost!" After observing her horrified and sorrowful gaze, Toothless let out a grunt and allowed her near. She rushed over to Hiccup's side, dread overtaking her senses. "Are you okay?!"

"Never been better," the auburn-haired boy moaned sarcastically, covering his nose as blood streamed through his fingers in thick rivers. "Are...are you okay?"

Astrid blanched, overwhelming guilt flooding through her. Even injured, Hiccup was still worried about her own well being. "A-Am I okay? You're the one with a bloody nose!" She tried to be as gentle as possible when pulling his bloodstained hands away from his now bruised face. "O-Oh my Gods..." She whispered, a lump forming in her throat. "I'm so sorry, Hiccup! I didn't mean to-Oh...what is wrong with me?!"

Not wanting to upset the girl any further, he laid a hand on her armored shoulder. "It's fine," the boy tried to assure her, using his fur vest to absorb the crimson liquid and smiled half-heartedly. _Hormones_. "A little bop on the nose won't make a difference."

Astrid clamped a hand over her trembling lips. "Hiccup," she said, "I can't tell you how sorry I am. You were just trying to stop the fight from escalating and I-I completely lost it. Inner warrior just...kicked in."

Hiccup smiled. It was slight, but Astrid was grateful that he wasn't too angry with her. "You were mad at Snotlout and you got overwhelmed. I understand."

At this point, Snotlout had quietly slunk over to Hookfang, mounting him quickly and taking off before anyone could do or say anything. Hiccup closed his emerald eyes, thanking the Gods that Snotlout had failed in telling the other teenagers about the whole situation.

"Yeah, but his stupidity isn't an excuse to hit you," her mind drifted back to when she attempted to kill her boyfriend because of what happened. She winced at the seemingly familiar déjà vu.

"Ugh... I don't look too beat up, do I?" Hiccup asked with a groan, pulling his hand away from his face. Astrid and Fishlegs winced while the twins snickered.

"Handsome as you'll ever be," Ruffnut cackled until Astrid shot her a murderous look. "Heh. Just kidding," she quickly apologized, causing Tuffnut to snicker.

When he was sure that the fighting was over, Fishlegs slowly let go of Meatlug. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked Hiccup timidly, twiddling his fingers. Though a Viking, the sight of blood made him rather lightheaded. "T-That looks pretty bloody."

"I'm fine, Fishlegs," Hiccup assured the other boy, shakily getting to his feet, er, foot, with Toothless's help. "Trust me, I've had worse." He gestured to his missing foot and Fishlegs winced again.

"Uh, question? Am I the only one who's still confused by what the heck just happened?" Tuffnut asked with a dazed expression. He tenderly rubbed the sides of his temples with his callused digits and groaned. "Too much thinking..." He brightened. "But now we don't have to take a test!" He and Ruffnut gave each other a high-five, smiles spreading across their faces.

"Will you two cut it out?" Astrid snapped, letting Hiccup lean against her as he started to stumble. "We have bigger things to worry about right now than the stupid test."

"_The tests aren't stupid!_" Fishlegs and Hiccup thought simultaneously in annoyance. "Hey, if you don't mind me asking, Astrid," Fishlegs spoke quietly as to not anger or stress the girl any further, "What exactly was Snotlout going to say that made you want to kill him? He said something about a wait...and...something about marriage?"

Astrid instantly paled, sharing a panicked glance with Hiccup at Fishlegs's question. They had forgotten about that one little slip. "...Good question," Hiccup said awkwardly, situating himself before he stumbled once more, "and the answer to that is...well..." He looked to Astrid for help. She merely shrugged in response, defeated, and he sighed. "Should I just...?"

"The marriage," Astrid instructed with a whisper. "Nothing else. They might as well know." Hiccup gave a nod, frowning as blood gently dribbled down his chin, and he used the sleeve of his forest-green tunic to mop it up.

"Okay guys. The reason why Astrid was so upset at Snotlout is because he was trying to tell you something important that _we_ wanted to tell you ourselves. So, to put it simply, Astrid and I..." he deliberately trailed off, making an attempt to stall before revealing the big news. Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and Fishlegs all leaned forward in anticipation, impatiently waiting for him to continue. "We are...u-uh um..."

"Breaking up?" Tuffnut incorrectly assumed. He shook his head with a sigh of disappointment. "That didn't take long."

Astrid clenched her fists, thoroughly insulted by the other blonde's insensitive remark. "No you dolt," she snapped, igniting Hiccup's wince at her aggressiveness. "We aren't splitting up. We're betrothed!"

There was a long silence.

"Oh. Well. That didn't take long."

...

Hookfang soared majestically through the fluffy, abundant clouds, the wind whipping at his scales creating a wonderful sensation of freedom. He would typically love a nice flight like this, but with a very defeated, hostile, and angry Snotlout perched upon him, even that would become a struggle. Every few seconds, the boy would grumble under his breath, causing the dragon to huff in annoyance.

"What does he know?" Snotlout muttered. "Kicking me out of the Dragon Training Academy..." His inner turmoil was starting to take control of his common sense. Even Hookfang could sense the inner turmoil and distress his master was experiencing, and he warbled in concern.

"So you're taking a stand? Enlighten us!" He spat in a mocking impression of Hiccup's nasally voice. "I'm gonna hafta fail you! You're grounded! I'm top-dragon! Well, technically he didn't say that last thing... Ugh! Let's just go home," Snotlout grumbled, directing Hookfang to soar over the village. "Can't get that stupid fishbone out of my head."

Hookfang grunted and complied distastefully, taking a dive through the clouds towards the village square. After they landed, he shook off the burly boy, who landed with a yelp on the dirt ground. "GAH! Hookfang!" Snotlout yelled, flipping his hand in disbelief. "What the heck?"

The Monstrous Nightmare chortled at his master's distress and took to the sky once again, happily igniting itself with flames and leaving a very angry teenager in the dirt.

"Pfft. Pigheaded dragon," the boy grumbled, and staggered to his feet with a grunt. He began a simple trek through the village, noticing that it was bustling more than usual. "Winter. Of course. Can't walk one foot without slipping into a beam."

A laugh escaped his slightly chapped lips as a burly Viking slipped on a patch of ice and landed with a grunt, right on cue.

Everyone was busy around this time of year. There were multiple preparations that needed to run its full course. There were fish that needed to be netted, eggs that needed to be collected, milk that had to be milked, herbs, fruits, and vegetables that needed to be gathered, meat that needed to be slaughtered and refrigerated in the ice sheds, all in preparation for devastating winter.

Snotlout snorted as the fishermen, Bucket and Mulch, hauled in their latest catch. "Chillax people. Devastating winter isn't for five or eight months." That was another thing.

Living so far up North always resulted with dealing with the unpredictable weather. Billowing storms could strike a month early or several months late. Nobody could really tell for certain except for Bucket and Mulch.

Snotlout glumly kicked around a stone as the large villagers rushed around him, oblivious to his growing rage. He sighed. "Honestly, how could I have not won her over?" He asked himself. "I tried so hard. Tactic after tactic for years! And it only took Hicc-Useless a few days to woo her. How'd he do it? What's he got that I don't?"

"Brains, perhaps?" A familiar voice suggested briskly. "A friendly disposition?"

"Oh great," Snotlout groaned, not realizing he'd been mumbling all that he said aloud. He leaned against the counter of the Forge and glared at the one-armed/legged man, who was happily humming whilst he pounded away at a crooked sword. "I didn't ask you, Gobber!"

"Then who, may ah ask, were you questioning then, ey lad?" The much older Viking asked nonchalantly. He inspected the sharpened weapon with a meticulous eye and handed it off to the owner before turning back to Snotlout. "Ah hear ye've been particularly jealous of Berk's little savior."

"Don't call him that!" the young teen griped in flagrant disrespect for the older Viking. "Odin _above_, is it "Make Snotlout Angry Day?" He asked haughtily.

Gobber chuckled to Snotlout's dismay. "No, that's next Thorsday. Today is like any other day: prepare for the siege of the everlasting winter!"

Snotlout grunted and dragged a callused finger over one of the axes, Astrid still on his mind. "So what do you want then?" He griped sarcastically, "You wanna gloat all about how your scrawny apprentice became the hero of Berk?"

"That would be enjoyable. But not now. Actually, ah want to talk about ye!" Gobber exclaimed with a grin, catching the young teen by surprise. He froze and met Gobber's eyes, evidentially puzzled.

"About...?"

"About you," Gobber repeated. "Like ah said before, ye seem to be having some jealousy issues over yer cousin." The man pulled up a small wooden stool that creaked helplessly as he sat upon it. "Now, you may not be my apprentice, but I want to help you."

"Why?" Snotlout asked, his brows furrowing into an ugly scowl. "You never bothered before. It's just because Hiccup is involved, isn't it?"

"Yes," Gobber admitted with a shrug. He had no trouble laying it on thick. "I don't see how you could be so hostile to someone who's done nothing wrong to you. The only palpable explanation for your said hostility is jealousy."

Snotlout huffed. "I know you don't want to hear it, especially from me, but it needs to be said, Snotlout," Gobber continued in a more serious tone. "Remember, ah used to be yer instructor and ye used to be me student in dragon training."

"So?" Snotlout asked tiredly, his eyes never meeting Gobber's. Instead, they focused on the axe.

"So, I still care about yer well-being!" Gobber explained, laying a hook hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hiccup is your cousin, Snotlout. Ye need to make amends with him." Here, the teen groaned. "I know it seems hopeless, but the truth of the matter is that he's going through a very rough stage of his life. A stage you won't be going through until you are much, much older."

"Oh, like what? Marriage?" Snotlout asked sarcastically with an eye-roll. "Ooh. What a nightmare! Hiccup gets to be with the girl of his dreams for the rest of his life!" He narrowed his blue eyes, seething, and leaned against the wall of the Forge. "May the Gods help him. Poor wittle Hiccup," he whined.

Gobber raised his eyebrows at the boy. "Well, it's much more than that, Snotlout. Surely you've heard the big news." The young Viking let out a mock laugh in response, throwing back his head.

"I know what they did, Gobber. Uh, hello? I was the one that found them before you dropped by?" "_And the one who caused this whole mess..."_

"Oh, not that," the man said impatiently. "but the aftermath. Snotlout, they're going to have a child."

...

Fishlegs could hardly believe what he was hearing. Two of his best friends in the whole world were betrothed to each other. Well... That was neat. But why? Yes, young couples did get married, but usually not this early. "Oh. W-Wow. Congratulations...? W-Wait... So you guys are actually going to get married? T-This isn't a joke? You are actually, literally, unequivocally betrothed?"

Hiccup flashed his friend a weak grin. "Yep." Astrid's azure eyes flickered to the ground in embarrassment as the large boy's mouth went agape in shock. "Our parents decided that now is a good time for us to...you know...get together!" She mentally cursed herself for not coming up with a proper excuse.

"R-Really? I mean, not to be rude or anything, but you haven't been together for that long," Fishlegs pointed out. "It's only been a few months, right?" Astrid instinctively placed a hand over her slightly swollen abdomen and swallowed thickly. "That's correct," she affirmed.

Ruffnut was struggling to keep in her screams of joy for her friend. "Oh my Gods, Astrid! You're seriously gonna-Tuff! Punch me!" She begged carelessly, earning a grin from her brother.

"With pleasure," the boy sniggered, and socked his twin sister on the cheek without hesitation. "Good job, Hiccup!" He then congratulated. "Getting married, having you-know-what-" He earned a glare from Astrid. "-Finally becoming a man!" He sniffed suddenly, looking over the other male with a weathered look. "Our little Hiccup is finally a man!" He sobbed. The auburn-haired boy smiled half-heartedly, blood rising to his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Thank you, I guess," he replied. "I'm...flattered." Hm. He hadn't exactly anticipated extolls.

"Hey, I don't want to sound negative or anything," Fishlegs started, causing Hiccup to sigh. "_Oh boy, here we go." _"But Berkians usually don't get married this young unless they did something that enforced them into betrothal."

"_Fishlegs_..." "Well, that's not _always_ true," Hiccup refuted politely, "My dad married my mother when he was sixteen. That's only two years older than me-and my mother was fourteen! So..."

"Well, why so soon?" Ruffnut, who was still recovering from her punch in the face, asked in curiosity. "You guys have only been together for two months or something, right?"

"Y-Yeah..." Astrid admitted.

"Then why not wait?" Fishlegs asked in confusion. "I understand the whole "love at first sight" excerpt, but it may-and I'm not saying it won't! But it maaaay not work out. Besides, you probably don't want kids right now since Devastating winter would be around right when Astrid would give birth."

Hiccup closed his emerald eyes. "Thank you once again, Fishlegs. And yes, we're well aware of the whole "Devastating Winter is a really bad time to give birth," conundrum. And..." He stole a glance at Astrid, who gave him a tired look that said, "_Just tell them. They'd find out anyway."_

"And what?" Tuffnut pressed, massaging his knuckles.

Hiccup bit his bottom lip, a look of conflicted worry plastered onto his freckled face. "And that's going to be a bit of a problem for us," he finished.

"You don't wanna wait. I get that." Tuffnut shrugged through miscommunication. "You know what you should do? You should do it during Devastating Winter." Everyone stared at him with horror. "What? Something's got to keep you entertained on those long winters days when you're shut in your house. At least you got each other for company. You're lucky. I'm stuck with her all winter!" He jerked a thumb at Ruffnut, who scowled and roughly slugged his face.

"W-What? No! That-That's NOT what the problem is," the boy cried, blushing profusely. "We've already botched that option."

"What do you mean?"

Hiccup cringed, holding Astrid back once more as she raised a fist towards Tuffnut. Confessing was going to be nerve wracking.

"The problem is that we've already..." He trailed off, hoping they would catch the hint.

The twins were a little busy teasing each other up to process it right away, but Fishlegs got the hint loud and clear. He did a double take, appalled at this sudden, embarrassing news, and blushed heavily. Astrid went red and sucked in a deep breath of winter air, hoping for his own sake that his reaction wouldn't be too crazy. "S-So wait, wait, wait," he began, holding up his hands to steady those before him. "Just to be clear, are you... Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

There was a collected pause as everyone, including Hiccup, turned to Astrid for a reply. She stared at the ground, shame flooding through her. "If you're thinking that we "did it" already, then yes," the girl admitted, folding her arms.

"Wait, WHAT?!" Fishlegs yelped and the twins shoved each other to stare at the couple in disturbed surprise. "Y-You guys_ c-connected_?" He inhaled sharply and squeaked out breathlessly, "b-b...before _marriage_?"

"So wait," Tuffnut spoke to Hiccup, who was shifting uncomfortably from foot to prosthetic foot. "You and Astrid like, did "that"?" He asked, making quotes with his digits.

Hiccup sighed, clearly not enjoying the fact that he was going to repeat it. "If by "_that_" you mean, "_sex"-" _Fishlegs recoiled_, "-_well, then yes. But it's not what you think! It was an accident."

Fishlegs was sputtering, going white in the face. "B-Bu-!"

"How do you accidentally "do it" with someone?" Ruffnut snorted, eyeing Hiccup suspiciously. Truth be told, even though she was excited for her friend's betrothal, she was concerned by this new circumstance. Even she knew that consummation before marriage was not acceptable. "Unless Hiccup, like, trips and falls and it ends up in her-"

"Don't. Go. There." Astrid seethed darkly, pointing a rigid finger at the other female, who silenced immediately but still grinned a cheeky grin. "Or I will personally see to it that your helmet will be shoved up your nose."

"OKAY!" Hiccup hastily interrupted, before things became too graphic. "I think we're all a little flustered by the turn of events, so let's just calm down." He observed the larger Viking of the group. "Are you okay, Legs?"

Fishlegs had gone an ashen shade, his body tensed. "Just peachy!" He forced out. "Really! U-Um… Explain to me how you accidentally had…y-you know…"

"Let's not get into details and just say that there was a mug of mead involved," Astrid explained hurriedly. "That's all you need to know."

"To be honest, that's all _we_ really know," Hiccup admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "And that leads to our next problem."

Fishlegs buried his face into his palms. "Odin!" He cried, perceptibly embarrassed. "How many other surprises are you going to-?!" He paused. "Sorry, I need to process this. Oh…man."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, allowing Fishlegs to take in the information. But it wasn't long till someone piped up. "So… How was it?" Tuffnut asked curiously, glancing at Hiccup, who stiffened, blushing a dark scarlet. One glare from Astrid and he cringed. "Sorry, I'll shut up now," he apologized sheepishly. "I'm a guy, you know? Just wanna be in on the gag."

Fishlegs moaned, "Please stop…"

"Ignore the Butt-Elf. What's the other problem?" Ruffnut asked with a roll of her eyes at her brother's crudeness.

Hiccup stole a glance at Astrid's abdomen and felt a twinge of pain overcome him. He couldn't blame Fishlegs for feeling overwhelmed when he felt frantic enough, almost _sickened_ by what lay ahead in the near future. All he could think about was what dwelled inside. Inside of _her_. Inside of Astrid, was his developing _child_. His chest tightened and he closed his emerald eyes. He nearly couldn't bring himself to confess but forced himself to speak. "Our…Our problem is what's to come in about six months," he said, his voice coming out as a choked whisper. "I-It's our-uh, baby."

* * *

**Author's Note: Huh. Look at that. My hands are dead.**

**Whelp, on that cheery note, I hope you Fanrats have all enjoyed this super-sweet amazing chapter! It took me forever to write, since I'm busy being a straight-A student and all. **

**By-the-by, I have a Deviantart and Tumblr *sigh* account and I'm thinking of drawing some art in relation to this story. My name is EmmaLennyEddie and on Tumblr: The Fanrat Queen. ****Check it out and maybe you'll see something you like!**

**Please add my story to favorites and follow it! Leave a friendly review! Do ANYTHING! If you see grammar or spelling mistakes, TELL ME SO I CAN FIX IT!**


	4. Mishap by Wedding Part One

**Author's Note: Greetings, my fine, fine Fanrats! I apologize most sincerely for the wait you've had to endure. I had a four-day weekend and I vacationed with the intention of finishing chapter four. However, I fell sick and was unfortunately unable to fulfill my plan. Bummer. Also, I'm not exactly ALLOWED on Fanfiction... Yeah, if my parents found out that I'm writing this story, they'd KILL me and shut it down. So... Hopefully you've had the patience of true Fanrats, and I give you: Chapter Four.**

**Noname: Yeah, sorry about the cliffhanger. Hopefully this chapter can satisfy your needs.**

**Guest: Of course three months have passed. XD This story is clearly on the move apparently!**

**FluentFletcher2: Curse you and your grammar/spelling mistake compass. Thank you though! I will get those fixed right away.**

**CassandraDayTree: I'm really sorry about the wait, but I wanted everything to be just perfect.**

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: Just go to deviant art and search EmmaLennyEddie. It'll show up.**

**My God: As long as my parents don't find out that I'm writing this, then I shall not die!**

**Aricawebb13: Thank you. I'm really glad you enjoyed it! **

**Travellerofadifferentpath: My goal is to combine Astrid and Hiccup to a miniature version of themselves. It's gonna be adorable!**

**SharKohen: Thank you so much! Many of people don't realize how hard it is to write Snotlout's character. He's an arrogant little spud, isn't he?**

**TheForsakenTwist: Don't be concerned. I'll update as soon as I can.**

**Enjoy!**

**As stated before: There is no swearing in my book.**

**...**

**Chapter Four: Mishap by Marriage Part One**

A hush spread over the Academy like icing over a cake as soon as the shocking words exited past Hiccup's lips. Sensing their masters' discomfiture, the dragons quieted. The teens all stared with jaws agape as Hiccup awkwardly shuffled from foot to prosthetic foot. Time seemed to stand still, and Astrid could feel her stomach churn as she and her partner waited densely for the riders to process this sudden barrage of information.

"_Please take it well, please take it well_," Hiccup prayed, "_Dear Odin, please_!"

It all ended abruptly when Ruffnut let out an unbelievably loud squeal, causing Fishlegs and Tuffnut to jolt, Hiccup to yelp, and then think sarcastically, "_Thanks Odin_."

The young teenager seemed to be induced in some sort of psychotic frenzy, the news too much for her to bear. "No way! NO WAY!" She screeched, shoving her brother to the side and sprinted over to Astrid to stare at her slightly swollen abdomen. "You're pregnant!? Actually pregnant?! With HIS baby?!" She pointed at Hiccup, who chuckled nervously. "I can't believe it's true!" she rambled, "Tuffnut told me you were just getting fat!"

Astrid put on her sharpest glare and aimed it intimidatingly at the blonde, who chuckled nervously. "Not that there's anything wrong with a dragoness fig-GAH!" He scrambled to his feet and leapt from the ground, his sister's helmet roughly striking the area he'd just been.

"OH THOR, OH THOR, OH THOR, OH THOR!" Fishlegs was whimpering, distress written all over his face, "I did NOT see that coming. Oh Hiccup, Astrid! I...*gasp, heave* I... *gasp, heave* I can't believe- *gasp, heave* I need a minute!"

"Zip it, Butt-Elf!" Ruffnut hissed to her brother, gripping Astrid's shoulders. "Or next time it'll be-"

"Alright, alright! Geeze! I'm sorry," Tuffnut apologized angrily, brushing off his cloudy tunic before moving beside Fishlegs, who was still trying to absorb the fact that one of his friends, a friend that he'd known for such a long time, was carrying a child.

"U-Uh-Uh...I...can't believe it," the large boy whispered, eyeing Hiccup with shock. "That's why you're getting married so early! R-Right? Right? Y-You...You're going to be parents!"

Hiccup couldn't help but sigh, wiping away another dribble of blood. "Thank you, for summing that up," he intoned.

"No, but seriously! T-This is huge!" Fishlegs gasped, covering his mouth. "I-I was right about Devastating Winter-guys, this is-this is-"

"Whoa! Don't strain yourself, Bud," Hiccup warned. "You're freaking out again."

"S-Sorry," Fishlegs whimpered apologetically, inhaling deeply at an attempt to soothe his erratic nerves. "It's just-" He paused, panting nervously. "Aren't you worried about it?"

"Nope, we've totally got this under control," Astrid said sarcastically, crossing her arms as Ruffnut reached out to touch her stomach. "Hey, you could ask, you know," she snapped, lightly smacking the other girl's curious hand away from the mound.

Ruffnut snickered and drew back, "Sorry, it's hard to resist."

The boys all looked at each other in puzzlement. What was it with girls and pregnancies? Not that it mattered, but why do they always want to feel it? To the boys, Tuffnut and Fishlegs at least, it was odd.

"What? Don't tell me you never wanted to touch it, Hiccup," the twin snorted, placing her hands upon her hips. The male blushed lightly, staring at the stone floor, not daring to make eye contact with his fiancé as she waited for his answer. "Ah-I, uh, well, it... It never crossed my mind," he decided, pressing the shoulder of his furry vest to his nose. It didn't matter after all, did it? But to be honest, he did have a longing to just _feel_.

"Don't we have bigger fish to fry anyway?" Fishlegs inquired in order to keep the conversation on track. He turned the chieftain heir and probed, "Hiccup, how long has Astrid been pregnant?"

"Um... About three months. Why?" Hiccup questioned, though he had a feeling he knew where his large friend was going.

"Um, hello?" Fishlegs asked in a panicked voice, troubled that no one seemed to care, "Devastating winter?" He hinted. "A few months? Your kid might be born on Snoggletog? Which, by the way, is in the coldest and stormiest month of the year? That time of year when most babies die?!"

"OKAY! Fishlegs! Again with the freaking out!" Hiccup exclaimed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't want to admit it, but whenever Fishlegs freaked out, it made him want to freak out, and that's the last thing he wanted to do in that situation. He aimed to keep a calm, level head and handle the ordeal maturely. "Yeah, Devastating Winter. Might be a bit of a problem-"

"Bit of a problem?" Fishlegs interjected. "_Bit_ of a problem?! There is a problem, Hiccup, and I think I speak for everyone when I say you've got a big one."

"Oh, sweet baby Thor, Fishlegs," Astrid groaned in exasperation. "We get it! Odin almighty, it's not like we didn't already know this!"

That was when Tuffnut spoke up. "Oh... So, then what are you going to do about it?" He mused thoughtfully.

Neither Hiccup nor Astrid had an answer. "Um...Well..." Hiccup replied slowly, wracking his brain for an answer. "I suppose we were going to just let nature take its course. What else are we supposed to do?"

"Don't get your hopes up," Fishlegs advised sadly. "So many babies don't survive their first winter. It'd take a miracle to-"

"WE GET IT, FISHLEGS!"

...

The sun was already beginning to set as Hiccup began the long walk back home from the Dragon Training Academy, so as you can imagine, hours had passed since his quarrel with Snotlout and his confession to the other riders. Astrid had left for home about an hour before when stomach pains began to overtake her. This, of course, frightened him beyond belief. Nothing frazzled him more then what was that he could not fix; something he didn't have any control over.

Panicked, worried thoughts swirled about his tortured noggin like an out-of-control waterspout as he walked along, the dry winter grass crunching underneath the metal of his prosthetic with each step. Avowing to the other riders was painful enough, but now, like Fishlegs said, he had bigger fish to fry. The wedding, for instance, Astrid, their baby. Devastating Winter. When Tuffnut had asked him what he was going to do about it, he had no answer. What _could_ he have said? He couldn't crush mountains, level forests, or tame seas like the Gods, let alone prevent a storm from raging over Berk.

And he couldn't deny what Fishlegs said wasn't true either. Devastating Winter was the one month on Berk where the weather was at its harshest in terms of storms and temperatures below freezing. Giving birth to a youngster around that time would be extremely dangerous. The little one could fall ill, freeze... The little ones rarely survived. He hung his head at the thoughts, but then lit up a bit.

"_You survived, though_," he assured himself. "_And if you could make it, so will your baby."_

Hiccup was born around the last few weeks of devastating winter: February 29, a leap year. He was brought into the world, small, weak, sickly. Nobody presumed his survival...even his own father assumed he'd be dead within a few days. But he lived on. All the other teens were born several months before him, including his cousin, Snotlout.

Snotlout.

Hiccup reminded himself to keep a wary eye out for his cousin. Even with Toothless by his side, he still felt pathetically vulnerable with his prosthetic limb that he still hadn't fully adjusted to. For example, Snotlout was most likely still angry and aching to pound his scrawny cousin to the ground. Hiccup was sure of that, and it made him feel nauseous to dwell upon the subject matter of his untimely demise.

His mind drifting to Astrid, the boy sighed. She was obviously still upset, but who could blame her? By now, the entire population of Berk had heard the news of their intercourse and her pregnancy. "Buddy, what am I going to do?" He didn't exactly expect advice from a dragon, but it was nice to speak to someone who listened, especially if that someone could not reprimand him for his opinions and thoughts.

Toothless, naturally, only grumbled in reply.

Hiccup went on, "I-If I could be honest, I really have no idea what I'm going to do with Astrid." He sucked in a breath and reworded, "You know, with her and me-our relationship! It's all so messed up... You...You dragons are lucky when it comes to...association." If Toothless could have shrugged, he would have.

"It's so simple," Hiccup continued, "You rely on instinct and mate to start a family. Humans have to get through all those awkward processes of getting to know each other, and go on dates... Astrid and I aren't ready for each other by far. I-I don't think we've been out on even one date! Yet we've already crossed the line! She's _pregnant_ for Thor's sake! You know... We've done everything an already-married couple should." He kicked at a loose stone and watched it tumble off the cliff and into the docks below and winced when someone cried out in pain from over the edge.

"Sorry!" He called out sheepishly, and glanced at his dragon, who warbled. "Ha-ha. Very funny, you useless reptile," Hiccup teased good-naturedly, flicking Toothless's snout before flopping down on his back to stare up at the now overcast sky, hoping that this angle would cease the flow of blood. Toothless let out a groan of protest and situated himself beside his rider, closing his sharp-jade eyes.

"Odin..." Hiccup muttered with humor. "Dragons are so much more simpler than humans. You aren't limited by all these rules, _restrictions_!" He complained, putting much emphasis on the "restrictions" and even waved a finger in the air for good measure. "It's just... It's in your nature. You can't help it. You automatically know how to raise hatchlings. Human don't. They have to learn, and I haven't learned."

If Hiccup had to be honest with himself, he _had_ been wondering lately what it would be like to be in a primal relationship where whatever action they carried out relied on instinct instead of conscience. It would certainly be much more simpler then the usual ritual carried out by humans. "Well, there's not much I can do about it now, huh Bud...Uh...-ACHOO!"

Toothless jolted abruptly and warbled in profound revulsion as his master suddenly sneezed, blood spurting into the palms of his hands. "Ugh...EUGH!" Hiccup moaned in equivalent disgust as he slowly pulled his hands away from his face, flinging the stringy crimson liquid away and wiped the rest in the grass.

Toothless sheepishly backed up a few feet away from him, suddenly aware of the look of misery plastered onto the young boy's face. Hm. The dragon cocked his head to the side. Should Hiccup be this upset over a minor injury? Or was it because of Snotlout, his cousin? But those two Vikings had gotten into so many arguments that one would think that Hiccup would be able to shrug this one off like he had with all the others. Was it because of his mate?

Toothless perked. That seemed more palpable, considering the fact that Stormfly's female had given him a bloody nose. But even then, she had inflicted bruises upon him on numerous occasions before and he didn't seem to let it bother him then. So, why now? Perhaps Snotlout and Hiccup were competing for her love? Ah yes! That had to be it, Toothless realized. The punch to the nose must have been some sort of rejection! Whatever the reason, it was doing a number on his master.

Though the dragon was unaware of the reasons why his human was so emotionally distraught, it worried him greatly. He crooned for comfort, hobbling forward and nudging his master's thin waist, who sighed sympathetically. "Hey, Bud. Sorry you had to see that." He inhaled sharply through his nose, causing the appendage to burn and dizziness took him. With a sleeve of his tunic, he mopped away another dribble of blood that leaked from his nostrils. "Eh... I'm sure it's not that noticeable, right? Whaddaya think, Bud?" He hopped in front of Toothless's path and spread his arms out on display, grinning awkwardly. "I don't look too beat up, do I?"

Toothless studied the young male's dried-blood-painted, bruised face before making an expression of uncertainty, causing Hiccup to frown. "Ah, great. Dragon pity," he muttered sarcastically, wiping away another dribble of blood. "Ew, gross!" He retched, "More blood... Darn it. I hope it's not broken or anything."

With another tired sigh, he made his way to the dragon's side. "Let's fly to Gobber's. Maybe he has some bandages," Hiccup suggested, swinging a leg over the Nightfury's saddle and latched his prosthetic into the pedal. "Alright, let's go, Bud." Soon they were soaring over the village, a dark silhouette against the pink, overcast sky.

Within a few minutes, they had reached the Forge. Just like Snotlout, Hiccup noticed with great interest as the hustle and bustle of Berk bordered almost uproarious. Well, with winter hovering above, who could argue? He slumped. You reminded him of the upcoming Devastating winter.

The young Viking swung his legs over Toothless's side and hopped off, entering the smithy with carelessness. "Hey Gobber," he resounded, carelessly scanning the area, "Sorry to bother you, but do you have any-?" He stopped short, body frozen as he locked eyes with his hateful cousin, who stared back at him with an unreadable expression, though one emotion decipherable: guilt. He tensed, expecting some annoying insult to spew from his cousin, but oddly enough, he remained silent with his arms folded. Gobber, the man in question, looked up at his apprentice and waved him over with a smile.

"Ah, Hiccup! Nice of ye to join the party," he exclaimed cheerfully, and Hiccup blinked, mentally forging an escape plan. "And if yer looking for bandages, there are some in the back." He gestured toward the back room with his prosthetic hook for a hand. Hiccup was dumbfounded by his cousin's silence, and that expression... Was that pity too?

"...Right," Hiccup affirmed slowly, inching his away around the two other males, who watched him intently. "Right. I-I'll just...get those..." He clumsily made his way to Gobber's large, wooden desk and retrieved some woven cloth that he pressed against his nostrils to absorb the still-running crimson. Turning back to face the other Vikings was most awkward, and he fidgeted. "So... You guys have been...talking?" He asked, avoided his cousin's eyes and kept his gaze on his boss.

"If you mean discussing yer scuffle, then yes, yes we 'ave!" Gobber answered in an optimistic tone. "Nice shiner, by the way," he complimented. "Looks manly!" Hiccup pursed his lips and nodded forcefully. After an awkward two seconds, he went on, "Snotlout and ah were just talking about ye. Ah hear you an 'im got into a bit of a quarrel amongst yeselves, and ah want ye two to work it out."

One look at his cousin and the memory of Gobber locking him in the back room with Astrid, Hiccup hastily replied, "Y-Yeah, I-I think I'll pass. Remember what happened the last time you wanted me to work something out with someone? I got an axe to the throat. Twice, I believe. So... Yeah, I don't know how that's going to work out."

Snotlout scoffed quietly under his breath at the lanky teenager. He remained hostile. "That goes double for me. Not going to work out at _all_," he sniffed, earning a swift bonk on the head from the much older Viking. "Ow!"

"C'mon ye two," the blacksmith scolded, getting up from his stool and pointing at the cousins. "Hiccup, ah've spent the last hour trying to get through to this young lad here-"

"Y-You have?" Hiccup interrupted and then spoke with sincere sympathy with a small shake of his head, "Oh Gobber, I am so, _so_ sorry."

Gobber nodded to show his gratitude. "Thank ye laddie. Ah admit to Odin, it was rough, but ah pulled through." Ignoring Snotlout's seething glare, the man added, "So as ah was saying, ye two need to work out your differences if ye ever are to get along. For starters, ah've informed Snotlout of Astrid's pregnancy, so there are no more secrets to hide!" Hiccup started, taking a glance at his cousin with wide emerald eyes. Well, no wonder he looked strange and uncomfortable.

"Bu-wha-GOBBER!" He cried, waving his arms. "W-Why would you-?!"

"Ay, keep your tunic on, boy! There will be no more tiptoeing around the lies and the truth. The whole blasted village knows anyway," Gobber firmly declared, causing the young boy to wince. "From now on, everything needs to be laid out on the table to be hammered upon, and we're starting with that!"

At this, Snotlout paled a bit and beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead. Secrets? Oh, he had secrets upon secrets that were not yet unveiled, but thankfully, the other two Vikings were oblivious to it. "_Oh, Gods,_" he thought frantically, "_Hiccup's going to be a father! Hiccup's going to be a father! Astrid is pregnant and it's all because of...of...me!"_

_"Well, what did you think was going to happen, moron?" _A small voice at the back of his head replied nastily. _"You gave them elixirs and locked them into the same room together, unsupervised. Helloooo? Really, it'd take a person with the brain the size of a Terrible Terror to not foresee it."_

Snotlout swallowed a thick lump that rose in his throat. "_Oh Thor, if anybody finds out and tells Stoick-"_

_"-Is exactly why you won't tell anyone, genius! Just keep your mouth shut and you'll be fine. If not, expect the chief to exile your sorry behind off this island in a flash."_

_"I-I don't know if he'd do that. I'm his nephew," _the teenager thought indignantly. "_I mean, yeah, I won't tell, but I have to admit... I feel really guilty."_

_"Well, duh! You poisoned the Chief's son! Of course you feel guilty. Nonetheless, you can't tell anybody."_

_"What if they do manage to find out?" _Snotlout wondered worriedly, and then tried to grin without much success. _"Oh, what am I saying? I'll be fine; they won't find out, 'cause I'm stealthy like a fox. The runt-" _he paused, somehow not feeling so justified to call his cousin that anymore_, "-Hiccup won't ever find out. He'll be too busy with Astrid to even notice. Oh geeze..." _He felt especially guilty for Astrid. His hatred for his cousin had cost her a pregnancy. Even though he was a self-centered, arrogant jerk, he still felt bad for the position he put her in. Heck, she wasn't the one who angered him in the first place and now she was suffering.

_"Okay, even though Hiccup really had it coming to him, did you have to rope Astrid into all this?" _The voice asked skeptically. "_You saw her in the kill ring. She's beyond furious. Thor almighty, what were you thinking? That telling everyone about Hiccup and Astrid's sex life wouldn't piss her off a little?"_

_"I-I-UGH! I wasn't thinking, alright? Stupid voice."_

_"Heh. Two yaks says she'll pound you to the ground next time she sees you."_

Snotlout went pale at the thought of the girl running after him with that blasted axe of hers-

"Snotlout? Thor almighty, is he even-Snotlout!"

Snotlout jolted from his daze, shaking his head clear until his chocolate eyes refocused. "Y-Yeah, yeah, what's up?" He asked hastily to cover up his incompetence.

At that, Gobber rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Ye weren't listenin'," he made clear with amusement.

Though slightly flustered, Snotlout wasn't about to be belittled. "Well, ex-CUSE me!" He exclaimed haughtily, "Your conversation is so boring that I drifted off." Hiccup glared at his cousin. It was one thing to insult him, but to insult the blacksmith? Now that struck a chord.

Gobber of course, merely shrugged off the chide and replied, "No worries. Ah'll repeat since ye've got the attention span of a sparrow: ah want ye to apologize to Hiccup." At this, the young Viking felt a pang of defiance strike his heart. Even though everything that had happened was technically his fault, he wanted to maintain his dignity, even if that meant refusing to apologize.

"And Hiccup," the large man turned to the other young boy, who was still in the process of mopping up his bloody nose, "ye need to apologize to Snotlout."

The fourteen-year-old had the grace to look only a little dumbfounded. "M-Me?" He stammered in disbelief. What had he done besides grounding his cousin from the academy? And even that was a result of Snotlout's bad behavior. "I'm the one with a bloody nose here, Gobber. All I was doing was trying to protect Astrid from...from him!" Snotlout stiffened considerably at Hiccup's declaration, inhaling sharply through his nose in a struggling attempt to control his temper.

"It's only fair that both parties set their differences aside," the blacksmith explained patiently, "We'll start with an "Ah'm sorry" from the both of ye. Now."

"..." Hiccup and Snotlout averted their eyes from each other, Snotlout biting his lip and Hiccup shuffling from foot to prosthetic foot.

Gobber looked back and forth between the two silent, stubborn young men for a maximum of ten seconds of quiet before saying, "Very well then. Those who don't apologize will muck out the outhouse for a week."

"I'M SORRY HICCUP/SNOTLOUT!" Both boys cried in unison, causing the much older Viking to chuckle. "Yeah, that's what ah thought. Well, that wasn't so hard, now was it? No. Didn't think so," he said without waiting for answer from either youngster. "Now, Snotlout, ah believe you owe Hiccup an explanation for yer behavior. Care to elucidate?" Hiccup slowly turned to eye his cousin, raising his eyebrows in expectation as Snotlout turned beet red.

"I-It's okay," the young male dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I have a pretty good idea."

Snotlout's body language relaxed, silently thanking Odin for sparing him from an explanation. "Yeah, he already knows. And we already apologized to each other, so can I go now?" He huffed.

Gobber looked like he was going to contradict Snotlout's request, but he sighed instead and with a gentle shove, he guided Hiccup out of the Forge. "Fine then. What needed to be said was spoken. Now be off with ye, young Hiccup! Ah believe your father wanted to speak with ye."

The auburn-haired boy groaned inwardly as he mounted Toothless, casting one last look at his cousin, who looked more conflicted than usual. "Great. One blow after the other."

...

Later that night...

Hiccup decided to land a little later than usual outside his house for his own sake. With a small smile, he dismounted his dragon and gave him a little scratch below the chin. "Maybe you'd better wait out here, Bud," he recommended. "You know my dad; it might get loud."

Toothless gave his rider a look of pity, causing Hiccup to wince. "Great. More dragon pity." With a deep breath, the young Viking entered the house to find his father sitting beside the fire in his great wooden chair, prodding at the fire with a poker, causing it to spark. Thinking that his father was distracted and it might buy him some time, Hiccup quickly tiptoed past the man and started to make his way up the wooden stairs to his room.

"Hiccup," Stoick spoke suddenly. "I know you're there."

Hiccup stopped short, momentarily deflating as he cursed himself for not being quieter. "Dad!" He greeted awkwardly, forcing a smile onto his face. "Hey..." He remained where he was, so at least he was at his father's eye-level at this part of the staircase, rather than his father towering above him.

Stoick approached his son, a stern look shadowing his features. "I need to speak with you, son."

Hiccup gulped. "Dad, I-I know that you know, but in my defense, I can't control Snotlout every second of the day." To his surprise, his father sighed, breaking eye contact for a moment to stare at the floor.

"Hard day, I take?" The man asked sympathetically, taking in the image of his son's bloody nose.

At this, Hiccup groaned and leaned back against the wall, rubbing his temples tenderly. "Ugh," he muttered indignantly. "You don't even know the half of it." He noticed that his father was holding a block of ice against his forehead. "Mind if I?" He inquired.

"Not at all," Stoick replied, handing Hiccup the block of ice for his own use. "Care to elucidate?"

Hiccup pouted and glared at the floor. "Well, to...put it simply, all the other riders know about the marriage and the baby now. Thanks to Snotlout."

"Do they?" Stoick asked thoughtfully. "Well, it's about time they did," he pointed out. "The wedding is scheduled two days from today anyway, remember?"

Hiccup winced at the thought. "How could I forget?" He mumbled sarcastically at the reminder. "Every time I see Astrid, she reminds me. And I've been working on her morning gift for a solid week. Not to mention that you tell me. Every. Single. Solitary. Day!"

His dad let out a dry laugh. "Can't have you forgetting, can we? So. How'd the others take it?"

Hiccup thought about it for a moment, recalling the earlier events of today and shrugged. He had to admit; their reactions weren't as bad as he expected them to be. "Eh, they took it well enough," he conceded, pressing the ice gently against his temple.

"Really? You're telling me that they were completely nonchalant?" Stoick pressed suspiciously.

Well, that certainly wasn't the case. "Yeah...no. Fishlegs flipped out, Tuffnut cried and congratulated me... I think." He wrinkled his nose. "Ruffnut was okay with it, believe it or not. She seemed to be excited for Astrid."

"Uh-huh," Stoick said, his tone bordering on the octave of amusement. "Well, at least they know. And speaking of Astrid, what did you do to earn yourself that bloody nose of yours?"

"I kept her from killing Snotlout," Hiccup notified with a grimace, causing his father to release a hearty guffaw. "What?"

"Haha! I've got to hand it to you, Son!" Stoick laughed and punched his boy's lanky shoulder with great force, ignoring the glare Hiccup addressed him, "You picked a mighty warrior! Still can't best her at hand-to-hand combat, can't you?"

"Pfft. Y-Yeah. Well, I'd like to see you try!" The fourteen-year-old nearly snapped, agitated by the older Viking's tease. "She's waaay stronger than she looks and she could beat up anyone on this island, even if she _is_ pregnant."

"Oh?" The chief smiled a secret smile, amused when his son came to his fiancé's immediate defense. "Could she now?"

"Yes, she could!" The young male insisted, "She-She could best anyone, and t-this: this is proof!" Hiccup quavered, gesturing to his face that was still blood-painted.

"Ah, then kudos to you for preventing her from, well," Stoick paused to laugh, throwing his head back, "from-from bringing harm to Snotlout! Haha! And don't think I haven't heard about the scuffle you had with that cousin of yours."

Hiccup rolled his emerald eyes and removed the ice from his forehead. "Oh cmon, Dad," he complained. "You know Snotlout's in over his head."

"True enough," the man agreed with a nod of his head. "But nonetheless, I won't have any son of mine taking part of these meaningless quarrels. It reflects badly on your reputation, and on mine."

Here, Hiccup gaped. "Meaningless?" He repeated in disbelief. "No, Dad, you don't understand! He-He was going to tell everyone!"

Stoick let out another chuckle and jested, "Looks like you already took care of that, aye?"

Hiccup groaned and crossed his arms. "Whatever. I-I just... I didn't want them hearing it from Snotlout of all people. I'd want them to hear it from me, or-or Astrid, or even you! N-Not from an arrogant little-"

"Hiccup," Stoick warned, his amused gaze growing stern.

"But it's true!" The auburn-haired boy cried, more agitated than ever. "He even threatened to use the information he had as _blackmail_ if I refused to unground him. What does that say about his character?"

Stoick tilted his head to the side in surprise. "You expelled him from the academy?"

"No, no, no," Hiccup corrected himself, rubbing his forehead. "I put him on temporary suspension. And until he changes his attitude, then I just-I won't allow him back in. It's not what I want, but he's just been so horrible lately and I don't know why. I mean, I've gotten an inkling that it has to do with the marriage, but other than that, he should be over it by now. Don't you think?"

"I try not to learn Snotlout's mind," Stoick reasoned, and then put in gently, "The relationship between you and your cousin isn't a mighty good one, is it?"

"No, it isn't," Hiccup agreed, handing the man back the block of ice. "I just don't know what else to do with him. I-I've tried talking to him, but I can't go through one conversation with the guy without him insulting me."

"Aye, that's Snotlout for you," Stoick mused, patting his boy's shoulders. "I'm sure he'll snap out of it. With any luck, it might only be a phase. I'm familiar with how teenagers work. Trust me. I know for sure that you two are going to grow up and become friends. Then you'll wonder why you ever fought at all."

Hiccup seemed unconvinced. "That would be the day," he quipped. "I think the Romans would take over before Snotlout and I ever become friends."

"Aye, well, these things take time. So," Stoick said as Hiccup's gaze drifted away from his, "is that all you wanted to say to me?"

The auburn-haired boy shrugged casually, still averting his gaze from his father's sharp, piercing eyes. "Yep. For now," he responded, lightly shifting his lanky shoulder away from his father's grip. "Thanks for the talk, Dad."

"Uh-HUH," Stoick nodded, that amused, unconvinced tone back in his voice. "Well, go head upstairs," he ordered, "I'll go get supper ready and call you back down when it's time." With one last warm pat on the shoulder, the man turned his back and headed for the door. Like every other night, he would go down to the docks to retrieve fish from the fisherman and then carry the supplies back to his home.

Hiccup grimaced, the thought of haddock or cod making his stomach churn. For some reason he wasn't up for it that night. His mind was...elsewhere, and the thought of food made him queasy. He stared blankly at the large, retreating form and then suggested thoughtfully, "Actually, could I skip dinner tonight, Dad? I'm not really hungry."

The burly Viking stopped short and faced his son with confused suspicion. "Not hungry?" He questioned. Sure, his son could pass for a fishbone, but he usually had a hearty apatite.

Hiccup shrugged his shoulders in an act of causality and replied nonchalantly, "Yeah, yeah, you know me. Al-Always snacking off before meals...you know."

His father gave him a skeptical look. "No, I don't know," he intoned. "Tell me."

Realizing that he couldn't fool the stoic man, the young male amended, "Dad, I...I just need to think about some things. It's not a big deal."

"No. No. It is a big deal. You need your strength, Hiccup," Stoick disagreed. "First a fight and now this? Out of the question. No son of mind is going to be off skipping meals."

Hiccup groaned at his father's melodrama. "It's only one night!" He assured. "And I remind you that the fight wasn't my fault?"

"Hiccup," Stoick warned, annoyed when his boy didn't waver under his stern glare.

Hiccup slumped. "Dad, please," he pleaded. Why couldn't his father understand? So many things had happened that day, and he needed time to process it.

"Hiccup," his dad warned once more, his voice going a few octaves higher.

"Dad," Hiccup dragged, using a mockingly similar tone that his father was using.

Stoick had enough. "HICCUP!" He barked, causing the young boy to stiffen, clamping his jaw shut. "When I tell you to do something, you'll do it without question or that...that sass of yours! Why can't you follow the _simplest_ orders?!" Hiccup opened and closed his mouth a few times, finally wavering under his father's towering form. Stoick's hard-set glare softened at the distraught boy who couldn't seem to voice a proper answer. Finally, the chief sighed. "Is this about Astrid?" He asked.

Hiccup quietly stared at the wooden floor. "Maybe," he answered softly, his hands clasped together tightly. "I-I don't know... I just, I can't stop thinking about the future."

"You're worried about her," Stoick concluded, crossing his arms across his broad chest.

Hiccup inhaled sharply. "That too."

"The baby?" Stoick guessed gently, trying to make eye-contact with his son's matching green eyes.

"Yeah," Hiccup confirmed, too embarrassed to look at his father. "I just... Dad, I need to ask you something personal."

Stoick raised his thick eyebrows. What could his son possibly ask him? The fact that Hiccup refused to look him in the eye worried him just a tick. "Alright," he approved. "What's on your mind? Out with it."

"How..." Hiccup trailed off, then gained the courage to continue, "How hard was it for you to raise me?" The look on Stoick's face made him instantly regret asking. It was a look of surprise, hurt, and remembrance. He had just brought up a very sensitive subject that they rarely talked about at all.

The chief was torn, remembering the night when his beloved wife was carried off by the one of the beasts. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up on end and goosebumps to rise against his skin. A horrible night, that was. Hiccup had only been a baby when it happened.

"You know, after Mom..." Hiccup didn't bother to finish the sentence, too deeply troubled himself.

Stoick inhaled sharply. His son had never asked him that question before, so what did he assume? Stoick hadn't been a very good father. Sure, he tried to keep his boy out of danger, but he never listened, he always managed to emotionally hurt the child, and he had even disowned him after finding out that he had befriended a dragon.

"Odin, it was rough without your mother," Stoick admitted, heaving his chest, "You were a difficult one to take care of, specially with the rest of the village I had to deal with. I was busy chiefing, and Gobber watched you most of the time. After your mother...passed, it was very hard to look at you because, well, you look so much like her." Hiccup grew crestfallen at this new information. "But the way I treated you wasn't your fault," the man assured the boy, "I had no sane reason to neglect you. I'll admit: I wasn't a good father to you."

Even though that was completely accurate, Hiccup couldn't bring himself to agree. Not when his father looked so beaten and shameful. "You didn't neglect me," he muttered.

"That's simply not the truth," Stoick snorted with a slight smile, pleased that his son still defended him. And then, it clicked, his face dawning. "Ah, and that's where you have to learn from."

Hiccup cocked his head to the side in clear confusion. "W-What do you mean?"

Stoick wasted no words and placed both hands on the auburn-haired boy's lanky shoulders once more, looking him right in the eye. It hurt him deeply to say this but it needed to be said. "Don't father your baby the way I fathered you."

Hiccup took a start. "The way you...?"

Stoick's throat went dry, and he forced out, "Don't neglect your child, Hiccup. Don't... Don't be the father I was."

Any resolve Hiccup might have had up until this turning point in the conversation diminished. His father was asking him _not_ to be like him? To _not_ look to his father as an example? To _not_ be like him? His whole life trying to live up to his dad and now he were told to do the opposite?

"You need to promise me that, son," Stoick ordered softly.

"Ah-I-I...Dad..." Hiccup stammered.

"Promise."

"You have no idea how strange this is," Hiccup muttered, knitting his eyebrows together in shame. "You're asking me _not_ to be like you?"

"Promise?!"

Hiccup swallowed hard and reluctantly forced out, "Promise."

Stoick smiled weakly and squeezed the young Viking's shoulders. "Good," he approved gratefully. "You need to be the parent that Valka would be if she were still here."

"Like Mom?" Hiccup's emerald eyes grew in curiosity. "H-How's that? What was she like?" Another thing that they rarely spoke about was Stoick's wife, Valka. The boy was curious about his mother, but kept quiet, fearing it would be too painful a subject for his father to speak of.

But to his surprise, the man's weak smile lightened. "Oh, you would've loved her, m' boy. She was..." He trailed off, jade eyes twinkling as they drifted off in remembrance. "She was everything. Beautiful, selfless, daring, artistic. And she lacked a prejudice for dragons." He inspected his son with love. "Just like you."

Hiccup blushed at thought of being compared to his mother and rubbed the back of his neck. "I wish I could've met her," he confessed sorrowfully. "I knew I would've loved her."

"Aye," Stoick agreed. "I wish that as well. If she were here, well, life would be very different. But what do you do when the ones you love aren't here? You celebrate them. Do you understand? You need to be attentive, caring, and understanding just like she would be if she were present."

"Yeah... Yeah, I can do that," Hiccup replied, a tiny grin forming on his face. "Wonder what she'd say about the, uh, the _breast hat,_" he coughed into his hand.

Stoick shivered at the thought. "Eh, I meant nothing by it, but she'd skin me alive. So that's one thing we probably shouldn't, um," he cleared his throat awkwardly, "you know, talk about." Hiccup covered his mouth, trying to hold in his laughter, but a few chuckles escaped.

"Oh, yeah." Hiccup smirked. "After all, _you're_ the one that gave me-"

"Hey! Didn't you say that you wanted to skip supper for tonight?" Stoick asked quickly, desperately trying to change the subject. "If you really want to go without it, I'll-I'll allow you. Just this once."

Hiccup smiled knowingly. "Thank you, Dad."

"But I expect you to finish your breakfast tomorrow. Put some meat on those bones. Do you understand me?" Stoick asked sternly, pointing a finger.

Hiccup allowed himself to beam. "Sure thing!" He agreed and trotted up the stairs before the man could reconsider. Thanks Dad!"

Stoick nodded his approval and shivered, his mind still on his wife. He glanced up to the ceiling. "It was to keep your memory alive, is all," he excused timidly. He jolted at a sudden thought. "Oh, Thor! I nearly forgot! Hiccup!"

Hiccup poked his head out the door to his room. "Yeah?" He watched his dad search around the room for a few seconds before retrieving something from under his bed. Stoick righted himself and approached the young Viking, something long and thin in his arms. A sword.

"Huh. Don't think I've seen you use that often," Hiccup commented. He speculated the sword with a meticulous eye and noticed that the weapon was fairly outdated. "Uh, just how long have you had that stashed underneath your bed?" The boy questioned.

Stoick smiled and held the sword out to his son. "There is a string tradition in the sagas to retrieve a sword belonging to a deceased forebear, to be given to a son of the family. This sword belonged to my father, who gave it to me on my wedding day, and now I'm giving it to you. It's yours."

"Oh wow," Hiccup exclaimed in amazement, taking the heavy weapon into his arms. He ran a hand over the dented surface but then grimaced, withdrawing his hand. "This one isn't made out of anymore breast plates, is it? I take this one isn't made out of...I don't know, your father's codpiece?" Stoick took a start.

"HICCUP!" He bellowed, causing Hiccup to jolt and make a run for it up to his room.

"Thanks for the sword, Dad!"

Stoick looked after him, letting a guilty chuckle escape him.

...

Hiccup entered his room, feeling a lot better after the talk with his father. Stoick was right. He needed to be the type of parent that wouldn't neglect, wouldn't hurt. Now, the fourteen-year-old was consumed by a familiar feeling. The same feeling he had felt when planning designs for Toothless's new tail. And that was determination. He was now determined to be the best father he could be for new developing child.

He glanced at his sketchbook with a firmness of purpose and sat down at his desk, plucking his charcoal writing-utensil from the cylinder holder. He had plans. Plans that began to transfer from mind, to charcoal, and then to leather pages as the first snowflakes of winter began to fall over Berk.

He had a morning-gift to finish as well.

...

The Hofferson household was quiet that evening. Helga and her husband Egil had just settled down for supper, but Astrid was strangely absent. The woman wasted no time in yelling for her daughter rather than getting up and going to retrieve her herself.

"ASTRID?" She bellowed, causing her husband to wince at the volume she was using.

There was no response.

"Astrid!" She called once more. "It's time for supper! Get down here before it gets cold!" Egil shot a worried glance at his wife and twiddled his fingers together.

"Ye don't think she came down with something, eh?" The man offered timidly.

"Nonsense Egil!" Helga dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Vikings rarely get sick and she is one of the strongest on the island. ASTRID HOFFERSON!" She shouted so loudly that Odin himself may have heard it.

No response.

"Astrid?" The man called out softly, completely foil to his wife's deafening battle cry.

No response.

With an annoyed groan, the woman threw down her fork and arose from her seat. "Odin, the lass has always been so difficult," she muttered indignantly as she neared the stairs. "Ever since she's been with the scrawny Haddock boy... ASTRID?!" She shouted up the wooden stairs that led to her daughter's bedroom. "Don't make me come up there!"

Finally, a muffled yell was heard and the large woman huffed once more. She trudged up the wooden stairs, the steps creaking under her weight with each stomp. Fairly agitated, Helga felt her anger melt away as soon as she caught sight of her daughter.

Astrid was lying on her bed in the fetal position, listless. A patch-quilt wrapped around her form, her dull, azure irises stared blankly out the window at the snowflakes that drifted about. It was no indication that she had heard her mother screaming her name.

For a while, Helga wondered if her daughter had actually gone deaf when finally, she spoke up, "Sorry mom," she apologized, her voice intoned. "I'm not hungry."

"Ye know that's not healthy for ye or yer child," Helga warned, and then frowned with concern as Astrid gave no answer. The large woman took a seat on the edge of bed and gently rubbed her listless daughter's shoulders. "How're ye feeling?"

"Tired," the young girl answered truthfully. "It was a long walk back from the Academy, which wouldn't be a big deal if I had Stormfly with me."

"Ye know that's not an option," Helga chastised. "Ah won't have you risk anything." Earlier, Astrid had heatedly informed her parents exactly what happened at the arena. She felt extremely guilty over Hiccup's injury and tired because of the baby. "I just..." She stared off out window, watching the snowflakes flutter onto the wooden windowsill. "I don't know. I'm not sure what to think anymore."

"Is it about that Haddock boy?"

"The Haddock boy?" Astrid frowned. "Oh. You mean _Hiccup_? My future _husband_? Whom I'm being _married_ off to on Friday for Thor's sake? Oh, I don't know. _Maybe!" _She replied sarcastically, wrapping her toned arms around herself.

Helga inhaled deeply through her nose as she struggled to remain patient. "Mah girl, if that boy causes ye any trouble, don't be afraid to use that axe of yers."

The blonde girl groaned at her mother's melodrama. "Mother, _please_. Hiccup hasn't done anything wrong. Just because he's male doesn't mean that he took advantage of me or anything."

Her mother seemed unconvinced. "Nonetheless. Don't think ah haven't forgotten about what he did to ye," Helga growled, remembering the discussion she had with Stoick. "Mead-poisoning or not, he goes off Scott free. After all, he's not the one with the evidence under his tunic."

"Mom!" Astrid snapped, slamming her fist down on the wooden bed, flushed when her mother's words seemed all too familiar to her own. "He does NOT get off Scott free! Hiccup is a strong, responsible person. He's going to be the father of our child, and he's going to raise our child from birth until he or she grows up! How does that sound "Scott-free"?" Helga was silent for a moment, considering her daughter's words.

"Aye, perhaps that is true," she murmured, stroking her fingers through her daughter's platinum locks. She calmed a bit, gazing at the fourteen-year-old girl's slightly swollen abdomen. "Ye are going to be a mother. Ah can hardly believe it meself."

Astrid bit her lip and nodded in agreement, relaxing a bit at the feeling of her mother's thick fingers massaging her scalp. "Things are moving along so quickly."

"Mah girl, it's been months," her mother pointed out. "It's about time that ye and the Haddock boy come together. Thank Thor the wedding is frīgæg. Three months is too long a wait. The boy had better prepared you a proper morning-gift."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Mom, please. Even if he didn't, I wouldn't mind. I have more important things to worry about than a silly present." Though, she _would_ be flattered if he did manage to spruce up something nice for her. The morning-gift usually included clothing, jewelry and household goods, livestock and slaves, and many times land and estates.

Astrid didn't really need anything big, and she doubted that he would give her a piece of land. Plus, clothes bored her to tears, and he knew that. Perhaps he give her something that he made himself from the Forge. She almost smiled, curiosity filling her. It would be interesting to find out. Until then, she'd have to make do.

"Speaking of presents, ye do remember that you need to present him a sword of one of our fallen ancestors for the wedding?" Helga asked quickly and suddenly. "Goodness me, ah just realized that we have many preparations to get started. Tomorrow we are off to the bathhouse to cleanse you of yer...er..."

"My maiden status?" Astrid volunteered, a sick feeling passing through her as she rested a hand on her abdomen. "I'm not exactly a maiden anymore, am I?" She asked softly.

Her mother frowned, but held her temper. "No, ye are not," she concurred. "But ah just want ye to know that even though ah don't condone yer behavior with the Ha-Hiccup, ah don't think of ye any less than ah did before. Yer still the bravest, strongest warrior on this island, and that will never change."

Astrid smiled warmly at her mother, grateful that she knew at least her parents were on her side.

...

The next day began with a sense and air of preparation and brisk. It was a specially important one for the Haddocks and Hoffersons, for it was the day that both Hiccup and Astrid would be prepared for their special day: the wedding that would secure their relationship. But what they would do that day to prepare for it was rather...torturous.

It began with Egil gently shaking awake his pregnant daughter at dawn, with the intention of guiding her to the bathhouse to be cleansed. She groggily awoke from her deep sleep, her stomach pains not lessoning any more than it had the previous day. "Come come, Astrid," he coaxed, "Ye know that mother of yers doesn't fancy to wait."

The blonde yawned tiredly and sat up, stretching her muscles with a soft pop. Rubbing her exhausted sky eyes, she asked, "Care to tell me what's happening?"

"Yer mother is taking ye to the bathhouse with the other women," her father clarified patiently, gently tugging the young Viking to her feet. "The wedding is in two days, so we must start to prepare right away." Astrid groaned at this and stumbled down the wooden stairs.

"Alright, alright," she yawned. "Tell her to keep her helmet on, I'm going!"

...

At the Haddocks, waking up in the morning, at dawn no less was definitely a heart attack-inducing experience. Stoick literally yanked the covers off of his son and bellowed, "Up and at 'em, son! TODAY IS A BIG DAY!"

Hiccup jolted and grasped his bony chest as a scream escaped past his lips. Frazzled, with his emerald eyes rapidly flickering to and fro, he stuttered, "W-W-Wha-? Da-Dad? What's ha-happen-GAH!" The large man lifted the teenager clear off his foot, stood him upright, and impatiently tugged him down the wooden stairs by his bone-thin arm. He did so before Hiccup could even grab his vest or boot. "WAIT! Where are we going?" He gasped breathlessly as he was lead out the door and into the cold air of winter. "It-It's not even light out! Oh, at least let me get my boot!" The dry, dead grass was buried under a layer of frost that bit at his remaining sole.

"Ah, you won't need those where we are going," Stoick replied briskly as they passed Toothless, who awoke by the noise and watched them with interest. "Sorry dragon! Hiccup's going to be a little busy today!" The Nightfury observed in concern and in slight amusement as his master was dragged away, toward the bathhouse. Why did Hiccup looked so frazzled? He snorted and laid his head back down.

Humans.

The bathhouse was an odd little building, separated by a wooden wall for the females and males, it consisted of some sort of built in hot spring that had been discovered at the edge of the forest. It took at least ten minutes to walk there, and by the time they arrived at their destination, poor Hiccup was freezing. "D-D-Dad, please," he shivered, teeth chattering uncontrollably as his father yanked him along. "Where are we going? And wherever we're going, are we going to stay there for a while? Because I lost all feeling in my foot! ...And a follow up question, why are you dragging me!?"

"Man up, son. You're a Viking. It's an occupational hazard!" Stoick exulted, hardly noticing his son's distress. "Oh, I thought this day would never come!" He sighed as they marched through the woods. "Ye know, I still remember the day my father took me to prepare for my wedding. Oh, the laughs we had... And Odin, I thought I would never live to see this day. I always believed I'd die before you'd ever get me any grandchildren!" His voice was humorous, but Hiccup still felt a pang of shame strike his heart at the comment.

"Thank you, for summing that up," he quipped sarcastically.

"Ah! Here we are!" Stoick announced heartily, stopping in front of the odd little building that was the bathhouse. Hiccup sighed in relief when the man finally released his arm and he rubbed it achingly. But his relieved demeanor disappeared as quickly as it had come as two familiar people arrived at the opposite end of the bathhouse.

It was Astrid and her mother.

Stoick caught sight of them too. And before Hiccup could open his mouth, he waved and bellowed, "GOOD MORNING HOFFERSONS!"

Helga nodded curtly and hollered back, "STOICK! IT SEEMS THAT WE THINK ALIKE!"

"AYE, IT DOES! WELL, DON'T LET US KEEP YOU!" Stoick threw back, and the children both eyed each other with sympathy. But before they could even get a word out to each other, their parents dragged them into the bathhouse.

Hiccup could feel his face redden as his father flung open the door, a maximum of seventeen faces beaming back at them readily. Most of them were village men, and that included a few of the teens: Tuffnut, who was sneering, Fishlegs, who was smiling kindly, and Snotlout, who looked just as skittish and distant as ever. They were all waist deep in the hot spring, without clothes of course. Hiccup closed his eyes and prayed it would all go away, but without any luck. "Welcome everyone!" Stoick greeted happily, patting his son on the back. "Today, we cleanse my boy of his bachelor status."

Hiccup gulped when Tuffnut held up a bowl of some sort of oils or herbs and dumped it into the water. He knew what it was for. Astrid and Hiccup had to be cleansed of their youth, and for Astrid, her maiden status, which was technically already taken away, so it was rather pointless. But the adults rather sticklers for tradition, so there was no room for arguing.

"Uh, D-Dad?" The young boy shivered, "Not to be rude or anything, but what are they doing here?"

Stoick chuckled. "Ah, I asked my father the same thing. All of these people have been up since the crack of dawn readying themselves to ready _you_. Now undress yourself and hop in."

Hiccup tried to keep a calm head as he stripped, trying not to think about the people staring at him. First he removed his brown leggings, and then eased his way into the warm water before taking off his belt and tunic. The heated water offered instant relief to the freezing cold air. He would've greatly enjoyed it if he weren't in the presence of so many other naked men, including his father. Surrounded by such muscular, burly Vikings that intimidatingly towered above him, he couldn't help but feel rather self-conscious about his thinness.

The process of cleansing him meant his friends literally scrubbing him down with the oils and herbs that the men had provided, much to his embarrassment, and awkward advice from the elder ones in how to _please_ a woman. He took the advice with a smile and a nod, but not much else, in fear that his discomfort would show through. Hiccup wouldn't have minded as much...except that Tuffnut kept snickering under his breath and Fishlegs looked as if he was going to throw up in response to the rather graphic subject matters. Snotlout remained quiet, which set off a vibe of discomfort through Hiccup, but he decided not to question it.

The final step of the steam bath, and equally the worst step, was to exit the spring, and take a plunge into the cold water in a tub outside, which was to cool Hiccup and close his pores, completing the cleansing. The frigid water was further associated with the wedding ritual with having herbs, flowers or oils added to it to scent the water.

By that point in time, the sun was just beginning to shine its warm rays over the pine treetops of the forest. However, it did little to warm the young bachelor, and Hiccup yearned to be at home, asleep in his own bed. The moment his skin came in contact with that frigid water, his entire body went numb. The winter air of course offered no relief.

"Ugh, D-D-D-Dad? Are-Are w-w-we d-d-done y-yet?" Hiccup cajoled, shivering uncontrollably, "P-P-Please tell me w-we-we're almost d-d-done." He frantically rubbed at his numb body parts with his stiff fingers, trying to bring back some warmth. All he got was a prickling feeling and he sat shivering, his lips actually turning a shade of blue.

The freezing cold hardly seemed to bother the older Viking as he wrung the water out of his impressive beard. "All in good time," he promised, patting his boy's head. "This is just a traditional procedure that you must go through before you marry. I take that today would be a good day to finish that morning gift for Astrid."

Hiccup grinned a small grin and gingerly stepped out of the tub, blushing heatedly as Fishlegs handed him his forest-green tunic. It was even colder outside the tub than it was inside, the freezing water clinging to his skin as the cold air bit at the droplets. "T-T-Thanks Fishlegs. S-Sorry you had t-to sit through t-that."

The cold winter air quickly dried the boy off and he immediately redressed. "Oh, anything for a friend," Fishlegs dismissed with a grin, but Hiccup could tell that the large Viking was truly disturbed by some of the older men's advice to him.

Astrid was having no more fun than Hiccup was. She went through the same procedure that he did and had to listen quietly while the older women gossiped about people in the village, including Hiccup. It didn't seem to bother them that Astrid was sitting right there while they joked and asked about her fiancé.

"Oh, ah can hardly believe it meself!" Hillevi, one of the village's seamstresses, chortled. She was currently massaging oils and sweet-smelling herbs into Astrid's hair whilst she gossiped with her friends. "One moment he's Hiccup the Useless, and now people are beginning to call him the _Dragon Conqueror. _What a title to posses!"

"Ah KNOW!" Another woman, Signy gushed. "It's hard to believe such a scrawny lad like himself could _possibly_ take down such a monstrous reptile!"

"Which one?" A middle-aged warrior named Tyra questioned, "The Red Death or the Nightfury?"

"Why, both of course!"

"Let's not forget Toothless. That Nightfury had a big part of it, remember that," Gunvor, a strong-headed woman reminded everyone. "And that, me dears, is what makes it such a strange situation. Imagine this: Hiccup with the dragons is the might hero of Berk. Take the beasts away and what is he left with? Nothing. A hiccup. Hence his name."

"True enough," Tyra agreed. "What ah'm pondering over is how he managed to tame such a beast, let alone keeping it from attacking him. We'll never know."

"He wasn't lying when he claimed to shooting down the Nightfury, eh? If we had listened to him then, that dragon wouldn't be alive. Hm. Wouldn't it have eaten him the second he was in sight?"

"Ha! The dragon probably realized that there wasn't enough meat on those bones to feast on in the first place!"

"If ah were a dragon, and he approached me with a knife, ah wouldn't be intimidated much. Ah mean, look at how skinny he is! Ye sure Stoick isn't under-feeding his son?" Giggles and squeals broke out at the last comment.

"Oh Thor, Siri! Stoick would go mad if he heard ye say that!"

"Haha! If he can't deny it, then why would he be mad?"

"Because he was once embarrassed of his boy. Ye all know that. He was always a wee laddie, he was!"

Astrid's eye twitched, anger consuming her as she was forced to listen to these bimbos talk. Honestly, what right did they have to speak of Hiccup in such a shameful way? They didn't know him like she did. How dared they? "You know," she spoke slowly, winning the attention of every woman in the bathhouse as she struggled to control her temper, "Size isn't everything. All of his accomplishments come through by how he actually uses his smarts. And let's face it, Hiccup has more brains and class in his little finger than you all have in those fat behinds of yours combined."

The women gaped at her and after realizing their mistakes, were all much quieter after her chastise.

Helga decided to pipe up. "Astrid has made a very good point," she declared calmly, surprising her daughter by her low-volume of voice. "Perhaps we should not speak so ill of him. After all, he did end a three-hundred year war."

Astrid smirked and settled back into the warm water.

...

Hiccup arrived at the Forge later that day feeling refreshed, smiling at the familiar whistle of Gobber as he pounded away at a sword. "Ah, Hiccup. Welcome back!" The man greeted cheerfully. "Word on the path is ye were cleansed in the bathhouse this very morning. How was that fer ye?" He sniffed. "Ooh! Ye smell like azaleas!"

The young teen rolled his emerald eyes and retrieved his apron. "Oh, fantastic," he replied sarcastically as he tied the seams, "Nothing better than stripping down in front of a bunch of people and being dunked into ice-cold water at the crack of dawn."

"Oh, so ye enjoyed it then?" Gobber cracked, causing his young apprentice to groan. "So what are we working on today, ey?" He asked causally, peering over Hiccup's slender shoulder as he retrieved something from the inside of his furry vest.

"Just working on Astrid's morning gift," Hiccup replied nonchalantly, "What do you think so far?" He held up the rotund, shiny object, to which Gobber inspected with a meticulous eye. "Do you think she'll like it? A silver bracelet, I mean?"

The man's eyes widened considerably. "You made this here jewelry out of silver?" He asked in amazement, taking in the detail that went into it. "How in Thor's name did you get the silver the first place?"

"It was nothing, really," Hiccup shrugged, a flush of pride tinting his freckled face. "I saved up my silver coins and forged them into the right shape. Uh, what do you think?" Gobber had to nod in approval, because it was a clearly beautiful bracelet. Just the right size to fit Astrid's small wrist, the silver shone brightly and beautifully, thanks to Hiccup's smooth craft. And if one looked close enough, he or she would notice that runic words had been delicately inscribed on the surface length of said bracelet.

_"Well considered, the woman's worth the whole of Iceland..._

_Heavy though mah heart...of Hunland, and of Denmark;_

_Not for all of England's earth and kingdoms would ah_

_Forego the golden-braided girl, ay, nor for Ireland," _Gobber read aloud, causing the blush on Hiccup's face to darken. "That's some fine, fine poetry, laddie!" He complimented, impressed. "And what elegantly formal script!

"Oh, it isn't mine," the young Viking quickly admitted modestly, tugging at his auburn locks shyly. "The poem I mean. But I remember hearing it a few times and I-you know-I just felt that it'd fit."

"Ah'm sure Astrid will love it," Gobber assured truthfully, carefully handing the silver bracelet back to the fourteen-year-old. "Then again, anything that ye've made in me Forge had always turned out to be a success in her eyes. Well, if you exclude the ah, failed contraptions. But you know what I mean."

Hiccup smiled happily, relieved that the blacksmith had only good graces for his craft. "I'm almost finished with it," he announced excitedly. "There are a few finishing touches that I need to look at and then it'll be ready by the wedding." Gobber chuckled at the boy's excitement.

"Ah, that reminds me: I'm the one crafting yer wedding rings," Gobber revealed, smirking as Hiccup turned back to him, eyes wide.

"Wow! Gobber, that's-thank you!" Hiccup thanked the man. "It's an honor!"

"Hm, something tells me that you're actually looking forward to the wedding," Gobber acknowledged. "You're brisker than usual."

Hiccup sidestepped a bit before answering. "Well, I _am_ excited. There's no doubt about that. But I'm also kinda...terrified. I mean, marriage is a whole 'nother chapter of my life, and that chapter is going to be continuous for the rest of my days. Astrid...she's going to be with me...for the rest of my life." Gobber listened quietly. "I-I mean, I'm not complaining or anything, but that's just something I'm completely inexperienced with."

"Lad," Gobber said solemnly, placing a hook hand on the boy's shoulder. "Remember this and remember it well: a happy wife equals a happy life. Understand me?" Hiccup squinted in slight confusion.

"I-I don't under-"

"Listen, Astrid is a fighter, right? And by the looks of it, she's hard to please."

"Yeah, what does that have to do with-?"

"Don't. Anger. Her," the man warned, annunciating each word slowly so that it could successfully sink in. "Ah'll say it again: happy wife, happy life."

Hiccup blinked and then grinned awkwardly. "Uh-HUH. Got it." Gobber nodded in satisfaction, not noticing Hiccup's disturbed, dazed look as he turned around once more.

The next five minutes were rather uneventful until, "Oh, Snotlout! What brings ye here?" Hiccup took a start and whirled around to see his cousin standing stiffly just outside the Forge. His hands were clenched at his sides, his eyes trained to the ground, and overall, sweaty. Hiccup watched curiously as his cousin whispered something to the blacksmith. What could Snotlout possibly want? Come to think of it, Hiccup mused, he _did_ look rather strange earlier that morning at the bathhouse. Distant, unusually quiet, not cracking insulting jokes like he used to. "Ah, well the lad's right there. Knock yourself out."

Hiccup quickly placed the bracelet in the pocket of his apron as the larger Viking approached, his eyes locked on the ground. They were quiet until Hiccup lightly coughed into his hand to gain the other boy's attention. "Hey," he greeted kindly. "You need something?"

Snotlout gave a nod of response and opened his mouth, "Hiccup...I need..." He began, wiping his sweaty forehead with a callused hand. He looked pale. "I need to tell..."

"What? Tell me what?" Hiccup's emerald eyes seemed to bore into Snotlout's own, and that was enough for Snotlout to go quiet once again. "Wha-? Snotlout, where are you going?"

But the teen had already run off.

**Author's Note: AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGH! That was me screaming at the top of my lungs. It took me _so_ long to write this chapter, that you have no idea how exhausted my fingers are. Day after day of research and typing...and typing...and getting sick...and typing. But on the brighter side we are finally getting to the wedding of Astrid and Hiccup-THANK THE LORD! **

**And it won't be long till we dwell into the married life of Hiccstrid. Yay. And it won't be long after _that_ until the baby is born-in the harshest conditions I might add. I won't give anything away other then the baby being born on Snoggletog. You know, the same Snoggletog where the dragons flew away to have their babies. There will be more conflict around that, I promise you. Until then: MORE FREAKING TYPING WITH MY THUMBS!**

**If there are any grammar or spelling mistakes please tell me so I can fix them.**

**PS: You Fanrats had better add my story to favorites or follows because I can't take all this typing! GAAAAAAAAAAH!**

**And I noticed that last chapter my account URL refused to show up, so if anyone is interested, when you go to deviantArt just type in EmmaLennyEddie in the search bar. I _will_ show up. Stay awesome everyone.**


	5. Mishap by Wedding Part Two

**Author's note: Hello once again, my faithful, faithful Fanrats. I can't tell you how surprised I am by the success of this story so far. I mean, by GOSH! Over eighty followers and fifty favorites?! Holy cow, I never thought I'd get this far! In all seriousness, I would never have guessed that the story would gain this much popularity compared to my other stories. *sniff* True readers, you are!**

**Commence the responses:**

**FluentFletcher2: Grammar is super important, ey? I love how you say that while you spelled "here" wrong in your review. Hah! But seriously, thank you. I find it interesting that you want to get back into Snotlout's point of view, and trust me, I'll definitely do that. The story began with his perspective and it should include said perspective so much more. Though, this IS technically a Hiccstrid/Cousin story, so there it is. Thanks so much for your input and have a nice day! **

**Travellerofadifferentpath: I couldn't agree with you more. Bathing ritual: a guaranteed way to humiliate and rid yourself of dignity. (I made an attempt to say, "Giggling group of gossiping girls" five times as fast, and I do believe I broke my tongue. Thank you. Reads "pass parental prowess in providing proper parenting") Oh Christ, ANOTHER ONE?! **

**Jadesunset: Thank you so much, and yes, I'm feeling a lot better now, thank you! :D I hope I don't torture you anymore by not updating quick enough.**

**Guest: O.****Õ****J-JESUS... I don't think her drink is ****_that_**** terrible... *gulp* R-Right? Meh. Probably. But what if she isn't even there to give him the drink? *sly grin* Who knows...? Ps: You totally sounded like Fishlegs there! XD**

**Diskonnect: Thanks for clearing that up with me. I'm glad we came to an agreement. ^^**

**aricawebb13: Aw, thank you for adding my story to your favorites and follows! It really warms my heart. You are a true Fanrat! :D Oh, and I can't wait until the birth. It's going to be suspenseful, I can tell you that right now, and DANGEROUS.**

**Scorpion6955: Yep, old Snotlout's beginning to crack from the guilt and I can't say I blame him. Especially since he KNOWS how dangerous it's going to be during Devastating Winter for the baby. He's got a lot of weight on his shoulders that he's been carrying. Only time will tell when he confesses. Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**SharKohen: OMIGOSH! Awkward Hiccup is literally the cutest thing in the world and so much fun to write! So you don't think the baby will survive? Hm... Interesting proposal. But hey, you never know... UNTIL I WRITE IT! MWAHAHAHAHA! *cough* *cough* Thanks so much the review!**

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: You found my DeviantArt account? I found YOUR DeviantArt account. ... Yyyyeah. Nice drawings you got there. *chuckles nervously* Alright, back to business. If Snotlout were ever to crack, it might be to Fishlegs, since he's the only sane one in the group besides Hiccup. He also might be able to give a good talking-to if Snotlout needed it. Interesting. Thanks for the review!**

**Hopelessromanticforlife: *laughs back* Love your name by the way!**

**HugsandBugsSmileyface: Tada! The wedding is NOW! And...you love this? *sniff* Such a sweet Fanrat... Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :'D**

**Noname: Grammar Nazi, huh? You're not much of a Spelling Nazi, hm? Miss You-spelled-Gobber-wrong-in-your-review! No, but seriously. Thank you for the tip! I hope you continue to Grammar Nazi my story. ;)**

**Guest: inhales deeply I SHALL NOT DISCONTINUE! I WILL FIGHT TO THE END TO FINISH THIS STORY AND GRANT YOU THE ENDING YOU DESERVE!**

**CassandraDayTree: See ya at school. *rubs hands together evilly***

**StormTooth: It actually never crossed my mind to make Toothless and Stormfly a couple. That would be interesting, considering the circumstances. However, I'm not so sure how that would work realistically, since they're different classes of dragon. Hm. I would have to ask what the public thinks. Speaking of... If you guys like or don't like the idea of Toothless and Stormfly mating, you can now cast your vote on my new poll.**

**I said it before and I'll say it again: There are absolutely no swear words in my vocabulary.**

Chapter 5: _Mishap by Wedding Part Two_

It took a moment for the auburn-haired boy to process Snotlout's out-of-nowhere elude, but when he did, he began to shout for him. "Snotlout, wait! Where're you going?" Hiccup cried, but his cousin was already a dot in the distance as he sped away, leaving the younger Viking in a thick cloud of confusion. "What the-?" He spluttered in evident uncertainty, "W-Why did he just-?"

"Eh? Gone already?" Asked Gobber, who hadn't seen Snotlout flee for his life. "Was that it?" He asked himself, taking a moment or two to absorb this newfound information, and then shrugged. "Hm. That was rather quick for me tastes."

Hiccup, who was still in a daze by Snotlout's abrupt, fleeting exit, shook his head clear. "Honestly," he repined, turning back to his personal work desk with a grumble. "Snotlout's been acting weird for a while, so this is nothing new. But he's never run away from me before like that. Pfft. Well, except for those two times at the Thawfest Games...but... I-I don't know what's wrong with him, and he won't talk to me. For example..." He gestured toward the boy's retreating form.

"Ay! Didn't ye make amends with each other?" Gobber instituted, and then shook his head disapprovingly. "Thor almighty, Hiccup! It took me _three_ painstaking hours to convince Snotlout to apologize to ye!"

"Yeah. Yeah, I know. And I'm sorry about that, but... Uh, I mean-I-It wasn't my fault that he just took off," Hiccup defended himself. "I don't have a clue what's going on, and it's stressing me out!"

"Oh, so he didn't tell ye then?" Gobber queried with his hands on his hips, causing Hiccup to raise an eyebrow.

"Uh, tell me...what?" He ventured cautiously.

The middle-aged man merely shrugged and turned back to his work, leaving a very puzzled Hiccup in the dust. "Ah can't say ah know, lad," he said candidly, "All ah know is that Snotlout told me that it was very, VERY important." The auburn-haired boy sighed in infuriation and glanced back to where his cousin had disappeared with half-lidded eyes.

If it were _that _significant, than why did Snotlout just run away all willy-nilly the way he did? Unless...he did something boisterous and he didn't want Hiccup to know? But in the past, Snotlout had always been proud to publicize he'd been disobedient and never had a problem with rubbing it in Hiccup's face.

So what in Thor's name was going on?

...

The male in question refused to reply to his cousin as he tore away, leaving the Forge far behind. He became winded quickly due to he fact that he was sprinting as fast as he could sprint at a badly paced run. "Oh,_Thor_," he panted, clutching his ribcage, "I can't do it," he moaned, stomach churning in protest as he over-exerted his body. "I-I won't do it! I won't!"

_"Coward!"_ That dastardly voice screamed at Snotlout as he frantically weaved in and out of the village houses, blindly shoving past a few villagers, who shouted angrily at him. But he didn't care what they thought of him now. Besides, it couldn't be any worse than what they _would_ think of him if they knew his "little" secret. _"You are a snot-faced coward!" _The voice vociferated. "_A coward!"_

"I'm no coward!" Snotlout denied angrily, pausing to wipe his brow of the beads of sweat that were beginning to collect. "Besides, aren't you supposed to be on my s-?"

-_"Oh, yes you are!"_

"Oh, come off it!" The boy seethed as he dashed through the plaza. "I thought you didn't want me to say anything! *huff* You're the one that told me that it'd be better if nobody knew in the first place! *huff* That Stoick would have me exiled! *huff* That Astrid would kill me!"

_"That was before I realized that you wanted to profess. I assumed if you were actually going to, I'd shrug along and presume you'd at least do it like a true Jorgenson. But no. You run away with your tail between your legs, just like a fraidy-Terrible Terror."_

Snotlout scowled at nothing in particular as he ran. He had always hated being compared to those annoying little beasts_._

_"Why would you want to confess, anyway?" _The voice interrogated. "_They wouldn't have found out if you had just kept quiet. It's been three months and they still haven't gotten a hunch." _

Snotlout didn't answer aloud as he finally slowed, coming to a rest. "_Something's been happening to me_," he thought despondently, resting a clammy hand over his abdomen. "_It started a few weeks ago. It's like this hollow feeling in my stomach, this ache in my chest, this clamminess in my hands, my legs feel kinda numb.._."

_"You're in love?"_

"What?! NO!" Snotlout cried angrily, causing a nearby female Viking to stare at him in confusion and slight trepidation before slowly backing away into her home. "That's not love!" The boy griped, accentuating with a flip of his hands. "It's called guilt, you stupid, STUPID voice!"

Said voice coolly replied, "_Who's stupid?"_

Snotlout sneered, "You! Hello? I just said it! And you ought to know, considering you're a part of me!"

_"Well, then you're the one to talk, genius. Snotlout Jorgenson, the only Viking with a need to talk to himself to figure out his own personal problems. Sad, really."_

"Alright, alright, whatever," Snotlout riposted with a roll of his eyes, leaning back against the wooden wall of a house to relish in the shade. He wasn't about to let the imaginary voice discourse his own mentality. "Here's the deal," he said, "and I'll give it to you plain and simple."

_"Ah, the moment of truth."_

"I... *sigh* I feel guilty, alright? Astrid is pregnant and Hiccup is going to be a father to a baby who probably won't even survive, and it's all my fault. Okay?"

"_Okay_," the voice repeated, and then acknowledged, "_So what exactly will you gain by telling Hiccup_?"

That made Snotlout thoughtful. In all honesty, what _did_ he have to gain by confessing to the world? It certainly wouldn't do him any good, and he'd probably be on a diet of a certain-someone's axe by that point. And it made him sick to think what Chief Stoick would do to him if he found out that he was the one that practically poisoned his son. "I don't want to feel guilty anymore," he admitted, adjusting his helmet to settle slightly over his chocolate eyes. "I want to get it off my chest, I guess."

"_Ah," _the voice cogitated_. "So it's not like you were going do confess because you felt like Hiccup had a right to know, but for your own benefit. Am I right?"_

"No!" The boy sharply denied, rubbing his forehead in agitation. "...Maybe. Sort of. Ugh...Yes," he finally admitted, causing the voice chuckle. He frowned in rebuttal. "I just-UGH! Why do these things always happen to me?! Why?! I mean, I know I'm kinda, sorta, maybe a little competitive, but come ON!" It was during his reflective rant that he began to feel lightheaded, the long-term anxiety having a major affect on his senses. "Why do these things always happen to me?!"

_"Face it. You can be a real mutton-head sometimes_," the voice calmly pointed out, causing Snotlout to growl in annoyance.

"That's beside the point," he snarled, aggressively stalking out into the open to clear his head, the warm rays of the sun calming his erratic nerves a bit. After a moment's consideration, he decided to himself, "I'll tell Hiccup when I'm ready. Better him than Astrid, since he couldn't beat me up even if he wanted to. So until then, stay out of my head!"

_"Hmph. Fine then," _the voice complied._ "But I'm still betting the two yaks she'll pound you to the ground when you avow your crime."_

Snotlout stiffened, thoroughly offended, but before he could say anything in response:

"Snotlout! Hey, Snotlout!" Came the call of a familiar voice before he could come up with a proper retort, causing him to groan. "What now?" He complained, turning to see a very suspicious-looking Fishlegs waddling towards him. A pang of fear struck his heart. Surely _Fishlegs_ wasn't on to him, was he not? Nah...He was becoming paranoid.

"Snotlout! Snotlout, I've... I've been looking everywhere for you-" the panting Viking huffed, only to be cut off when Snotlout let out a characteristic snort.

"Not now, 'Legs," he rudely dismissed with a flippant wave of his hand. "In case you haven't heard, I have some personal issues to work out, and I don't want anyone interrupting, and that includes you," he added when Fishlegs crossed his arms.

"Um, no. I haven't heard. Your feelings aren't a part of the grapevine, you know? But I think this may be involved with some of those "personal issues" you're having," Fishlegs inquired courteously, but still wearing a suspicious expression. Snotlout raised a bushy eyebrow in confusion and shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms over his chest for a sense of security. Why was the larger boy looking at him like that? Was he really onto him?

"I've been thinking." Fishlegs licked his slightly chapped lips before asking, "Do you remember that night after Hiccup woke up? The celebratory dinner? The mutton?"

Snotlout felt his heart stop, and he was afraid that Fishlegs had noticed the sudden stiffness of his body. "Um...Y-Yeah," he replied fretfully, making an attempt to keep a calm, cool air about him. "So what?"

It was a few moments before the larger Viking continued with, "Now, I'm not making any assumptions..." He paused, and amended sheepishly, "Well, yes. Perhaps I am. But look, you just seemed really hostile that night. Calling Hiccup names, glaring at your food, storming out," he counted off his fingers, "All in all, you were acting very peculiar."

Snotlout huffed uneasily, beads of sweat collecting at his forehead, his entire body beginning to go clammy. "Your point?" He whispered.

"My point, if you must know," Fishlegs said rather sternly, "is that I'm beginning to suspect that your hostility somehow ties in with what happened to Astrid and Hiccup."

He jolted. Odin _above_, he WAS onto him! "No!" Snotlout panicked, shoving a finger in his acquaintance's face. "Whatever you're thinking-just stop it! Stop it right there! I had absolutely nothing to do with what they did! They did by themselves, okay? I did nothing!"

"They were inebriated-"

"Not _my_ fault!" The infuriated Viking shouted, gritting his teeth whilst his face went white with rage.

"Snotlout... What's going on?" Fishlegs asked, taking no notice of the finger shoved in his face, a concerned lull diminishing the suspicious glare. "You've been acting weird all day. Something's been getting you down. And it hasn't been just today, it's been the day since... Since..." At that moment in time, a look of comprehension overtook Fishlegs's face and he quietly asked, "Is there something you wanna talk about?"

Snotlout didn't hesitate, and though inside he was screaming yes, he replied with, "No." He inhaled deeply and repeated the lie once more, his chocolate eyes flickering to the dirt. "No. I don't have anything to say. Now back off before you get a daily dose of Vitamin Fist."

Fishlegs was unconvinced, but backed off anyway for his own sake.

_..._

The next day couldn't have arrived slower for Hiccup and Astrid. The night before, Hiccup had finally completed Astrid's morning-gift and was rather proud of it if he did say so himself. Before he had gone to bed, he placed it in a small wooden box that he usually kept his parchments. Satisfied, he settled for the night, and Astrid, who was not too far away, did the same.

It only took a few whopping moments for Hiccup to realize that he was never going to go to sleep on his own. The knowledge of what was about to happen the next day was fueling his anxiety, nervousness, and slight excitement. Every other second he would adjust his blanket and turn from side to side, desperately trying to get comfortable, only to change his position again. He sighed, staring into the inky darkness of his room, and sat up, listening to the chirp of crickets from beyond the walls of his home in the dead of night. This was the last night, he realized, that he would spend in his room alone.

Troubled by this information, Hiccup's grip on the blanket tightened until his knuckles turned white. "Dad?" He called out softly, and listened intently for an answer, his heart rate quickening.

When he received no response, he shivered, the winter drafts taking their toll on his room. It was bone chilling. There were even tiny bits of frost appearing on the wooden windowsill. Great, another visit from Jack Frost. Just what he needed. He _would_ have packed on more layers of furs for his bedding, but that was considered wussy to Vikings. And he wasn't a wuss...right?

For a moment, he considered taking a quick ride on Toothless...but... Something stopped him.

With a tired yawn, the young boy arose from his wooden bed and quietly stole downstairs to where his father was currently residing in his own bed. Hiccup wasn't quite sure what his intention was in doing this. Perhaps he knew in his heart that this was technically his last night as a boy in his father's eyes, now that he was getting married. Or was it for comfort? Or a wanton need for embrace that his dragon couldn't give him?

Hiccup decided that he didn't care. Rubbing his tired emerald eyes, the fourteen-year-old quietly trudged over to his father's sleeping form and undid his prosthetic leg before placing his hands on the edge of the bed. He was going to try to do this without awakening Stoick, but the moment he put the tiniest bit of his own weight on the bed, the wood creaked, causing his father to awaken from his light slumber.

The two males stared at each other for a moment, neither of them speaking. The Chief soon nodded, somehow realizing Hiccup's intentions and shifted his weight to one side of the bed to make room for his young son, lifting his woolen blanket. Hiccup took up the offer gratefully and dragged his tired, anxiety-ridden form onto the wooden bed and snuggled under the blankets. Moving sluggishly, he flopped his head next to his father's on the furry pillow, his longish locks spreading out across the fabric.

Comforted by the soft, rhythmic breathing of his father, Hiccup curled up into a ball and once again closed his emerald eyes. He soon reopened them as he felt his father's strong, muscular arms wrap around his waist and hold him close. His eyes gaped, and he instinctually stiffened at the unfamiliar contact, instant warmth spreading throughout his frigid body. Elated by this unexpected move of affection, he tried to tilt his head up to catch a glimpse of his father's face, but it was much too dark to see anything, so he laid his head back down.

It was strange at first. This snuggling. The last time the father and son had cuddled was back when Hiccup was perhaps three or four. And that was to comfort him when he sobbed over his lost mother. As Hiccup grew older, the nighttime snuggles decreased. Stoick the Vast seemed openly embarrassed about doing something so un-Viking with his son, whom he told to man up and dry his tears. But not this time.

Stoick hummed absentmindedly, gently stroking his callused fingers through his boy's auburn locks, pressing said boy's head against his broad chest. "Hiccup," he whispered hoarsely, the winter air drying his throat.

"Y-Yeah, Dad?" Came the small reply of his son.

With a weak smile, Stoick slightly pulled away from his child and placed a hand under his chin, tilting his head up to face him, their tired, matching emeralds meeting. He could hardly form words as he gazed upon his son's face that so deeply resembled his late wife.

His little boy... His fragile baby boy...was growing up. "Ah want you to know," he swallowed, stroking Hiccup's freckled jawline with his thumb, "that as a father, I know that you have what it takes to be a great parent. You've done and been through so much," he sagely murmured, cupping the auburn-haired boy's cheeks with his palms. "And nobody is more surprised, or proud of you than me, mah son. So, so proud."

Hiccup grinned, a warm, fuzzy feeling invading his chest. "Dad..." He trailed off, a yawn interrupting him as he smiled a sleepy smile. "Thanks for...you know... Thank you." And he buried his face back in the man's chest without another word, his lanky arms wrapping around the large form as best as he could manage.

"Goodnight, son," Stoick whispered, surprising Hiccup beyond comprehension with a kiss to the top of the head. It was that genuine comfort that finally prompted the young male to doze off in the arms of his father, the ordeals of tomorrow abandoning his dream world.

"Valka would have been proud of you too."

...

Astrid had no better luck going to sleep that night than Hiccup did, roused by the ordeals of the next day. But rather than seek the comfort of her parents like Hiccup had, she preferred to keep to herself when she had an issue. She was like that: independent, always taking on challenges alone instead of gratefully accepting help from anyone else.

But this isolation seem to work against her, for nearly a third of the night, she merely lay awake to stare at the ceiling, completely listless and unable to push the unwanted thoughts of tomorrow out of her head. It was clear she was more resentful towards the marriage plan than Hiccup was. Well, not resentful _exactly_, but she wasn't too keen with change. It was either she didn't like it, afraid of it, or both. Not that she was going to admit it, though.

"_Enjoy yer room while ye can, Astrid_," he mother had told her earlier. "_It'll be yer last night in it_." The girl, embarrassingly enough, cringed at the thought of leaving behind her personal nook to reside in Hiccup's own. His _bed_. It was a queer thought.

On her bedside table, a melting wax candle flickered its golden light, gleaming its gleam off the walls, which created a copious amount of shadow silhouettes that included her own very pregnant self's shadow.

The abundant silence was uncomfortable to the young girl, and she rested a hand over her swollen abdomen that was hidden underneath the blankets, her usually sensible mind lost in thought. She wasn't entirely sure what prompted her to do what she did next in the first place, but what she did was something that would stick with her for the rest of her days.

"It's weird to know that you're inside me," Astrid stated aloud, one hand resting behind her head and the other rubbing her tummy. Well aware that this was a goofy thing for her to do, she actually managed a quick laugh.

"Great," the blonde chuckled, lowering her azure eyes to a half-lidded state. "I'm talking to someone that can't even hear me. It's exactly what all the other mothers do when they're pregnant. Heh. I'm turning into one of them." She was thoughtful for a moment before asking curiously and carefully. "You...You can't hear me, can you?" She whispered, and then caught herself, rolling her eyes at the prospect. "No. No, that's impossible," she scoffed and than as an afterthought, "Is it?" She was in doubt, but there was a possibility.

"Man, that would be pretty strange," she mused, "and a little scary, because I think I've said a lot of things that little ones shouldn't be hearing." Astrid sighed and giggled in spite of herself. "Hiccup would be having a laugh at that. He's your daddy, you know."

Astrid frowned. It felt strange to refer to Hiccup as a "daddy", and she repeated it again to get a feel for it. "Your...your daddy and I are getting married tomorrow. It's going to be a...an interesting day." The blonde bit her lip and admitted, "If I'm honest with myself, I'm not really sure if I'm ready for this."

Realizing she sounded a touch too negative, the girl forced herself to laugh a nonchalant laugh. "Again, that probably sounds very weird. Astrid Hofferson, not been able to take on a challenge in the perfect mindset. Well," she said with a bit of flourish, "this isn't like a physical exercise or a target practice; this is something that's going to affect me for the rest of my life and yours too."

With a grunt, Astrid turned over on her side to get into a comfortable position and grimaced. Her larger stomach always seemed to get in the way nowadays. And it annoyed her that it would only grow larger as the baby inside her continued to develop. "Man, would you just hurry up and grow!" She growled almost irritably, gently poking against the bulge of her stomach with her finger. "I really wanna get this over with and I'm sure Hiccup does too."

The female Viking kept her gaze to the wall, watching the shadows dance before her eyes as a strange feeling consume her. She clutched her abdomen in an almost motherly instinctual way. "Devastating Winter's gonna be a hassle," she commented, her brows furrowing together in what she gathered was worry. Her voice lowered. "I mean, I usually wouldn't say this, but because Hiccup's your daddy..." She trailed off and swallowed hard. "No offense to him, but he's pretty, um... Not like, weak or anything, but..." Oh, who was she kidding? Hiccup _was_ a rather weak person in a physical aspect. There was no denying it. He was dignified as a scrawny little fishbone compared to the typical burly Viking build that evey other man in his tribe possessed.

"I'm a little worried that you'll be..." She coughed, purposely stalling. "...That you'll be like...like a little hiccup yourself." She hadn't meant it as if the baby DID turn out to be like the father, she'd be ashamed. No, she was concerned about her child's health and safety. Smaller babies usually had a shorter lifespan in general, but with Devastating Winter on the list... Astrid shivered, banishing the troubling thoughts from her mind for her own sake.

Whatever was to come, she had to be prepared for it for her child. And she would do it with the perfect mindset, determined to start the next day.

...

The Next Day:

Thus began the final preparations of the bride, much to Astrid's disappointment. Another day of prepping and preening... Fantastic. After another very early awakening, Astrid allowed herself to be dragged downstairs and sat down. Today involved dressing her for the ceremony itself.

Her trademark braid was unraveled and her unkempt golden hair was smoothed and combed out for the day, since the wedding ceremony and the feast would be the last times she would wear her hair unbound and uncovered.

The village women had certainly learned their lesson about gossiping, at least around Astrid, and they were completely silent as they swiftly worked on her hair, only speaking to mutter something unrelated to each other. Helga circled her daughter with her large arms folded across her chest, pride evident on her face, as well as stationary caution.

"Now remember dear," Helga spoke briskly, yet oddly dark in a sense. "If 'e tries anything before th' consummation, ye sink that axe of yers into 'is skull and don't remove it 'till the body stops shakin'."

Astrid stiffened in surprise and clenched her fists as a rippled gasp echoed throughout the house. Some of the women cringed, and from the corner of the room, her father winced. Sometimes Helga's use of graphic imagery startled him. "Mom," the fourteen-year-old groaned in annoyance, rubbing the space between her tired azure eyes, "we went over this a thousand times, but I'll say it again: Hiccup is far too respectful to be doing anything like that at all. Trust me. He's more embarrassed about it than I am."

Oh yeah. She forgot. About the consummation... She closed her eyes. Yippee.

Helga seemed unconvinced. "Well," the large woman went on with a bit of flourish, "If ah suspect anything, ah won't blame ye. Ye know that. But 'im?" Her eyes narrowed. "If ah see 'im do anything at all, ah'll take care of it meself. Put me hands to good use. Catch mah drift?" She cracked her neck to the side.

Astrid rolled her eyes, not taking her mother seriously. "Sure Mother. Whatever," she replied gruffly, examining her blunt nails. Willing to change the subject to a more positive aspect, she asked, "So, when does the ceremony actually start?"

"Later today," Helga waved off, "It shall be held outdoors, either in the open or at a site such as a grove or a sacred vé. What's yer pick? Either way, we'll have more witnesses."

"Um..." Truly, Astrid couldn't have cared less. "The...grove?"

"The grove it is!" Helga announced, slamming her fists together. "Fellow Vikings, let us make haste!"

Astrid wasn't sure why she felt a sudden wave of nervousness wash over her. "Oh, man..."

...

"Uh, Dad? Why do I have to wear this thing again?" Hiccup asked for the third time, scratching irritably at his shoulder. Draped over said shoulders was a heavy, oversized fur cape, much like the one his father adorned. It was incredibly uncomfortable and stuffy and Hiccup felt the urge to remove it the moment Stoick turned his back. "Never mind the size, but man..." He cringed, twitching, "It itches..."

The gargantuan Viking rolled his emerald eyes for the millionth time that morning and sighed. "It's _tradition_," he simply replied, gripping his son by the shoulders. "Which you seem to have a ball rebelling against, but not this time. You want to look your best at the ceremony. To make a fine impression on the girl's parents, ey?" After a quick adjustment to the silver piece that held the shoulder parts intact, he took a step back. "Alright son, turn around. Lemme get a good look at ye," he commanded, twirling his finger.

The fourteen-year-old frowned but hesitantly complied, struggling to rotate his body 180 degrees, which caused the oversized cape to drag heavily along the floorboards. It was a peculiar sight, and Stoick placed a hand over his mouth, observing thoughtfully. He was about to make a comment about how Hiccup would eventually grow into that day if they were lucky, but for his son's sake and dignity, decided against it. Instead he said with noticeable lackluster, "Good enough. Ey, stand straight and proud, son! No hunching. Today, you become a Viking."

"Oh, NOW I'm a Viking. Pfft! Good enough..." Hiccup remarked sarcastically, and bit his lip under his father's glare. "Ah. Thanks. Thanks, Dad," he muttered sorrowfully, and scratched at his neckline. "Ugh, never mind the itching; I just wish it didn't weigh over *grunt* a hundred yaks." He strained under the weight, tugging at the shoulder parts feverishly, hoping the adjustment would make it more comfortable.

"Wormsquat," Stoick dismissed carelessly, and then, "I assume you have the morning-gift for Astrid in your possession?"

Hiccup's face dawned in realization and lit up. "Oh! Oh yeah, yeah!" He replied, hands fumbling a bit. "I've got it...Here it is; it's right here!" Beaming proudly, he retrieved the small wooden box from his side and opened it up for his father to see, eager to show off his handiwork. "You think Astrid'll like it?" He questioned hopefully, observing the man's reaction. "Made it myself, you know."

Stoick inspected the bracelet in the palm of the boy, not all surprised that his son had handmade the morning-gift, and nodded in approval. "It's very detailed," he complimented kindly. "But are you sure she wouldn't want something a bit more-" he stopped at the pained expression on his son's face, searching for the right words. It was traditional for the morning-gift to consist of pieces of land, clothes, or even status in general. He was concerned that Astrid may not appreciate his son's morning-gift for what it was.

"I just wanted to give her something different," Hiccup muttered forlornly. He cradled the prized gift in his palms, looking quite dejected.

Inwardly, Stoick slapped himself. Hard. How did he always manage to emotionally hurt his son without even trying? Never mind," he quickly amended, roughly patting the auburn-haired boy on the lanky shoulder. "It's a fine gift; I'm sure she'll be gracious."

Hiccup could only roll his emerald eyes. "Good enough," he sighed, snapping the wooden lid shut.

...

Later that day...

The grove for which the ceremony was held was nothing more than a small cluster of trees near the edge of the woods. Nothing too glamorous for a wedding, Astrid commented silently as she stood on the small, raised platform with her hands folded respectively. Normally, she wouldn't bother herself with such things, but the young Viking was far too nervous about the occasion at hand and needed a distraction.

This was it. The big moment. The wedding at last. Ominous clouds of Thor above rumbled importantly to mark this moment.

Hiccup stood across from Astrid, clutching his ancestral sword with both hands and struggling under its weight. His cape, the girl noted in amusement, seemed rather heavy as well. She chuckled in spite of herself, feeling a giddy nervousness of what was happening.

If it were possible, her male counterpart felt an even heavier load of anxiety and nervousness than she did. This was evident by the way he would constantly shift his weight from foot to prosthetic foot, bite his bottom lip until it turned a cherry red, avoid eye contact, and sweat like crazy. But nobody had the right to blame him. Who wouldn't be nervous on their wedding day, and at such a young age? Even Astrid had to admit the nerve-wracking anxiety she was experiencing.

After finally readying herself for the ceremony, Astrid had been escorted to the grove by a few of her female counterparts by the arms, no less. And now as she stood before the entire village on a slightly raised platform, every single one of them could get a perfect view of her very-pregnant self. Even as Stoick spoke in his regal, Chief-like bellow, she could still make out the whispers and stares directed at her abdomen.

_"The Hofferson girl's pregnant after all!"_

_"Did ye see that?"_

_"Ah did indeed! There's a growing young one within her."_

_"Without a doubt."_

_"The child... It is his, right?"_

_"Oh, without a doubt!"_

_"Thank Thor..."_

_"What, you honestly thought she would be that undignified as to be the mother of some bastard child." _

_"So, Hiccup is the father for sure? It isn't a bastard child?"_

_"No, no. Bjorn, it's his. Did you think the Chief's son would marry her out of pity?"_

Astrid consciously crossed her arms over her chest at the notion until her mother hissed at her to keep her arms at her sides. Her mother, Ruffnut, and a few other village women were her maids of honor and stood behind her. Hiccup's groomsmen consisted of his father, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, and a few other married men from the village.

For the first couple of minutes of the ceremony, things went along smoothly enough. The odds of fair weather seemed to be in their favor; not too sunny and not too cold, a light breeze here and there. It was up until Stoick began a speech that even Fishlegs, who was always attentive, eventually grew bored of. As it went on, there was an occasional yawn from one of the villagers, a rubbing at the eyes, and even the occasional snore from Mildew. Unfortunately, the twins of course grew bored as well and became restless.

Astrid closed her eyes for a moment as Tuffnut continuously made obscene gestures to his sister, who stood behind Astrid, and shot lewd ones straight back that went unnoticed...during the whole of Stoick's speech. Astrid tried extremely hard not to growl in agitation as her face burned in embarrassment.

_"Seriously guys_?" She thought furiously. "_On my wedding day?" _Normally, she wouldn't have minded as much, but this was different. This was THE day! The day that would open up and commence a brand-new chapter of her life.

Standing right across from her and well aware of the twins' antics, Hiccup tried to make up for it by trying to stand proudly and regally in his traditional outfit. It was for the ceremony after all, but it was notably oversized for his stature, along with the gargantuan ancestral sword that was starting to cut into his arms. Those kept him slightly hunched over. Not to mention that he kept twitching his shoulders, due to the itchiness of the cape. Astrid grinned, causing him to blush knowingly.

At least the female Viking wasn't the only uncomfortable person there. She had to wear this huge, costumed crown that engaged women traditionally wore during the ceremony and feast that came after. It had too many characteristics of a flowery bush that had been placed upon her head, making her resemble a walking shrub.

Oh, how she would have much rather been decked out in a tunic than that thing. Her cheeks felt warm after catching Hiccup staring in amusement at it a few times. At least, that's what she assumed. In reality, he couldn't stop looking at her golden hair that cascaded down her back like a shiny river of sunshine. "Beautiful," he thought dreamily, a goofy grin spreading across his jawline.

As the ceremony went on after Stoick's speech finally drew to a close, the sacrificial goat for Thor and the sow for Freyja were brought up to the alter at some point, mooing and baaing. Hiccup found that he couldn't help but wince as their throats were slit and the blood that streamed from the wounds were collected in a bowl consecrated for that purpose. Add that to his already acute queasiness, he felt ill to his stomach. Astrid didn't seem to mind, but it _was_ Astrid.

The crimson-filled bowl was then placed by Mulch, on an altar built of heaped stones, and a bundle of fir-twigs dipped into the liquid. He then used an hlaut-teinn branch to collect some of the blood.

Hiccup's emerald eyes widened just the slightest, for he knew what came next.

With a bit of help from Mulch, Bucket dipped the branch into the lavender liquid and with a gentle, short downwards movement and a swift movement from left to right that followed suit, sprinkled the dismayed couple and assembled guests.

It was all Hiccup could do not to throw up as the redness softly splattered against his cheeks. He knew that it was in order to confer the blessings of the gods upon them, but it was nonetheless unpleasant. Bucket only stopped when he effectively sprayed every guest. Astrid noted with concern that Hiccup began to look positively green, swaying a bit and struggling with the large sword in his arms.

"Now," Stoick announced, gesturing his son forward, "The groom will now present his bride with the sword of his ancestors, which he has so recently recovered." Hiccup smiled a weak smile of relief and stepped forward, eager to give away the heavy weapon that he strained to carry alone.

Astrid took it embarrassingly easily and traded him with the sword of her own ancestors, causing Hiccup to frown as he struggled once again with an equally heavy weapon. Stoick smiled at the two, his chest puffed out with evident pride for the fourteen-year-olds. "This interchange of gifts," he then bellowed, "typifies for them the most sacred bond of union, sanctified by mystic rites under the favor of the presiding deities of wedlock."

"Blah, blah, bl-AH!" Tuffnut mocked, only to be cut off by a delivered smack in the head from Gobber.

Astrid let out a small snicker, trying not to let her blush give away how nervous and excited she was. Her mother quickly made her way over to her daughter's side and gently retrieved the sword, making a side-glance at the young male before quietly returning to her spot.

Ruffnut ogled at the weapon, running her fingers over the fine blade with fascination. The ancestral sword of the Haddocks supposedly signified the traditions of the family and the continuation of the bloodline. The sword given to the Hiccup by the Hofferson's symbolized the transfer of the father's power of guardianship and protection over the bride to him. Astrid was supposed to hold this sword for her son, if she ever had one.

_"Tradition_," the female Viking thought sarcastically, "_Well, at least I get a sword out of it."_

Following the exchange of said swords, Astrid and Hiccup swapped the ceremonial rings, which were, as promised, forged by Gobber the Belch himself. Hiccup's ring was given to Astrid on the hilt of his new ancestral sword, which trembled as he strained under the weight.

"You can now join hands," Stoick reminded them softly as they observed the marks of marriage with burning cheeks. Astrid's eyebrows rose just the slightest at the prospect and Hiccup swallowed nervously, a blush creeping into his freckled face. He clumsily jabbing the point of the sword into the wooden floor, wrapping his hands tightly around the handle until his knuckles turned white. Astrid moved forward and steadily rested her callused fingers upon his trembling ones and squeezed comfortingly to ease his erratic nerves.

With the ring-exchange completed and their hands joined upon the sword hilt, the couple then spoke their sacred vows. Astrid spoke with a calm, clear voice while Hiccup stumbled a bit over syllables and pronunciation, causing Tuffnut to let out a hiss, earning him yet another whack on the head from Gobber.

Helga watched stiffly, her arms crossed over her chest and her lips pursed. She knew it was rude, but she nonetheless stared disapprovingly at the Haddock boy, who caught her glare and gulped nervously under her dominance. At that moment, with Helga's hard-set glare and Hiccup's submissive gaze, the two Vikings sent silent messages to each other.

Helga's searing glares warned, "_Ah have me eyes on ye_."

Hiccup's bewildered look simply read, "_Help_." He swiftly tore his gaze away from the intimidating woman and instead locked his eyes on his newly wedded wife's abdomen. Huh. His worried gaze suddenly grew mystified as he kept it locked on the swollen tummy. Huh. A funny look crept into his face as he remembered the other day when Ruffnut had wanted to touch Astrid's stomach, but was painfully rejected by her not asking for permission. It was strange, but even now as he stood in front of everyone he knew, he had the urge to t-

"Hiccup? Hiccup!" A sharp hiss snapped the boy back into reality. "It's time to go to the Great Hall," Astrid whispered harshly, gesturing toward the crowd, waiting for him to commence the trek. Hiccup blinked blankly and gave his father a questioning glance and Stoick confirmed Astrid's declare with a simple nod.

"Oh! Heh. Sorry," Hiccup apologized with an embarrassed grin, sneaking glances at Helga, who still hadn't ceased sending him murderous glares. What was going on with her?

This followed the rest of the procedures of a traditional Viking wedding on Berk. Once within the Great Hall, Hiccup was ordered to plunge his sword into the supporting pillar of said hall, which was alit with festivity for the occasion.

The custom reflected the demonstration of his strength, with the "luck" of the family, being the children, produced by the union. It was also said that the deepest of marks would signify the luck of the marriage, so Hiccup winced sheepishly when all he made was a light dent in the pillar rather than a scar of true depth with the ancestral sword. He could hear Astrid's mother groan in the crowd about his weakness and Stoick's angry gasp, causing him and Astrid to redden in embarrassment.

These preliminaries over, the feast began. And what a feast it was! Practically the whole village attended, all drinking, singing, and dancing happily. The older men scarfed down their mutton and bested each other at arm-wresting and other cardio activities. Women joined in and even bested some of the men in basic arm-wrestling without batting an eye. Others sat with each other simply to drink and chat.

The sacrificial animals from the wedding were skinned and eaten amongst some of the villagers, but the most important part of the feast was the ceremonial drinking of the bridal ale, another of the legal requirements for the marriage to be considered valid.

"Valid, shmalid," Astrid muttered indignantly into her palm as she rested at her spot around the bonfire. She snuck a glance at Hiccup, who seemed to be sneaking glances at her abdomen before his emerald eyes flickered away. "I think we're valid enough," she declared, posing her hand to show off her ring, and with her other hand, pointed at his. "Besides, I don't want to drink blood."

That got his attention, and he swiveled his head back in her direction, emerald eyes wide with shock. "Blood?" He gasped in disgust, his complexion paling considerably. "Uh, I-I thought it was wine!" He blinked. "It's...Isn't it wine? Ceremonial wine?"

"It _is_ wine," the female Viking confirmed, squinting when a look of confusion to overtook his face. "Except...You know those animals they sacrificed earlier?" Hiccup sighed and buried his face in his arms, muttering something about erasing images form his memories. "Yeah. Well, some of their innards may end up in our mugs."

"Oh. OH!" Hiccup covered his mouth with one of his trembling hands and Astrid gave him a shrewd, calculating look. "What?" He mumbled, eyes darting from left to right.

"Nothing... It's just..." She bit her lip. "You uh, you eat animals all the time," she pointed out, wrinkling her nose, "I just think it's a little strange that you ate a raw fish-a regurgitated one, mind you-without complaint, and all it takes is a little bit of blood to get you all..." She trailed off and made a vast gesture, "...like this."

At this particular case of déjà vu, Hiccup had to chuckle good-naturedly, his sickened expression disappearing for a moment. "You just gestured to all of me," he told her, smiling. "And the reason I ate that fish was because I was afraid of Toothless at the time. Not because I actually enjoyed it."

"You sure you didn't?" Astrid teased, crossing her arms with a mock smile.

"Oh, I don't know," he shrugged, playing along while he scratched at the itchy fur-cape. "Maybe I did. After all, Nightfury saliva and stomach acid has an _incredibly _tasty flavor when blended together," Hiccup offered.

"Oh, does it?" Astrid asked. Hiccup nodded. "If that's the case, than Toothless should cook dinner for us instead of me. Ha!" She smirked triumphantly, only for it to be wiped off when Gobber approached and slammed down two mugs before the newly wedded couple, drops of crimson liquid splattering against the stone in result of his rough actions.

"Here ye ah!" The man exclaimed with a grin. "One sip of this, and yer marriage is valid." He scratched his head, rethinking what he said. "Well, technically the marriage is valid once Astrid is given her morning-gift after the, ah...consummation... But ye know what ah mean." Hiccup stared at the crimson contents of the mug, gulping audibly and sneaking a look at Astrid, who half-shrugged. "Go on," Gobber encouraged, patting him on the back. "Make yer toast, lad."

Toast? Toast! For a split second, Hiccup was at a lost, but then he remembered. Clearing his throat, he stood up and raised his mug into the air, not caring if anyone was really paying attention to him at that point. He made a quick toast to Thor by moving his hands in a T-shape before quickly seating himself once more, his freckled face burning in embarrassment. "Well that stunk," he admitted.

Gobber glared at the crowd. "Eh, don't beat yeself too much over it, lad. Everyone's too drunk to listen anyway. Astrid?"

The girl boldly rose from her seat with a smirk, not unsurprisingly, and thrust her mug into the air. "A toast," she announced solidly, her clear voice echoing off the walls of the Great Hall, which captured everyone's attention.

"Well, I guess they aren't _too_ drunk," Hiccup scoffed.

Astrid smiled, raised her mug, and shouted, "To Freyja, to whom this marriage will be blessed upon!"

"To Freyja!" The Vikings all chorused, and took large swigs from their mugs. Hiccup tentatively took a sip, nearly gagging on the wine while Astrid breezily emptied her own mug. Like her, all the other Vikings drained the wine supply in no time flat.

All but one boy, who looked on silently.

A few seats to Hiccup's right, one particular guest was quiet amongst the rowdy Viking population. Snotlout, of all people, rested his cheek against his callused palm, listless. His chocolate eyes were trained on the fire until he saw dots, but he couldn't have cared less. Not when he was feeling like a Monstrous Nightmare that had accidentally burned down the village. During the previous half of the feast, he had been fine enough, considering the circumstances, but when Astrid had made a toast by raising her _mug_, it triggered his anxiety and guilt that he was bottling up inside.

Snotlout's innards churned in protest as he tried to distract himself by taking a swig from his own mug. This proved to be a big mistake, now that he was staring at the very object he used in order to make sure that their relationship would fall apart. He gulped, feeling quite nauseous and scooted the object away with a finger.

"Hey, Snotlout, are you feeling better?" Asked the concerned voice of his friend, Fishlegs. The boy didn't even flinch, just flickering his gaze elsewhere. Fishlegs could not believe it. "You're...quieter than usual."

"Is that a problem?" Snotlout hissed with pure venom in his voice, though he still refused to make eye contact.

"Oh, w-well no!" Fishlegs stuttered helplessly. It was so difficult to converse with the burly boy sometimes, or anytime for that matter. "I-I-I just think that we haven't really talked about what happened earlier today," he explained politely, "I don't get why you've been acting so weird or why you were so mean to Hiccup, and I want to know-"

"Fishlegs!" Snotlout shouted abruptly, causing the larger Viking to flinch. "Did I ask you to talk to me? Did I come to you to discuss my feelings? Uh, that would be a big "N-O-E", no! You can spell that, right? So do me a big favor. Leave. Me. Alone." Snotlout snarled loudly, emphasizing each word with an accentuated pound on the table with his fist, causing the larger boy to cautiously distance himself, and unbeknownst to Snotlout, drawing the attention of several other villagers.

"I have absolutely _nothing_ to say to you, _nothing_ to prove to you, and even if I _did,_ I would never tell you, because you couldn't keep a secret to save your own _life_."

A look of hurt flickered across Fishlegs's chubby face. He was rather self-conscious about how he was weak in the questioning department. "Wait, now hold on just a darn minute," he protested defensively.

"For Thor's sake, 'Legs!" Snotlout cried almost exasperatedly, throwing up his hands. "Mind your own business for once. Why don't you just go join Hiccup and Astrid and congratulate them on their perfect marriage, huh? Go do that."

Fishlegs was at a loss. He looked about and squeaked, suddenly aware of the hundreds of faces staring at the two of them in bewilderment, including Stoick and Spitelout. "Uh, speaking of Astrid and Hiccup," he whispered sheepishly, pointing a finger, "You should probably lower your voice, because they're staring at you along with the uh, whole tribe."

Snotlout's hard-set glare disappeared and he stiffened, except his still-pointing finger, which went limp. Slowly, he swiveled his head around to where the Chief was seated, and sure enough, he and his father, Spitelout, were staring at him. Stoick's expression read as puzzlement and bewilderment, Spitelout's read embarrassment and hostility. Astrid stared at him in growing anger and disgust, and Hiccup stared in pure confusion.

The young Viking gulped and lowered his head, knowing he would most likely hear more about this later from his senior. He slid the front of his helmet over his eyes, shutting out the world. "Thanks for the heads-up, 'Legs," he whispered.

Astrid scoffed at Snotlout's display of decorum and whispered to her new husband, "Man, no offense Hiccup, but your cousin annoys me."

Hiccup only shrugged, not at all offended. "Well, in his defense..." He began and then trailed off, pondering over any type of redemption his cousin may have possessed, but found none. "Never mind," he decided. "He is who he is. That's fair enough."

"Mm... I guess," Astrid hummed, unconsciously resting a hand in her abdomen. Hiccup's eyes trailed to her hand, and he bit his bottom lip. Once against, he was drawn to that particular place, the _holder._

"Hey, Astrid?" He asked softly, gaining her attention once more. "What does it fee-!"

"Hiccup!" Stoick bellowed, roughly pulling his son aside before he could finish his question. The man looked left to right, and that's when Hiccup noticed that the older, married men that were his groomsmen, and the older women that were Astrid's maids of honor, all were situated near the entrance doors of the Great Hall, watching and waiting expectantly. It didn't take long for him to pick up where his father was going with that.

Stoick sighed and patted his son on the shoulder, smiling a comforting half-smile, well aware that what was to come was going to be both awkward and undignified for his son, but it had to be done. "It's time for the ah, the consummation." He gave the fourteen-year-old a pitying look as said boy began to splutter with embarrassment.

"O-O-Oh gu-gah...um, uh...I-Is it...y-you know...n-necessary?" Hiccup fumbled, twiddling his fingers. "W-With Astrid being pregnant and all, don't you think that...?" He trailed off and blushed a beet red.

Stoick thought for a moment and swallowed. He hadn't thought about it. "Well," he decided slowly, "let's just see what Astrid's mother has to say about it and we'll go from there."

Hiccup paled at the suggestion, remembering the distrustful glare that the woman had impaled him with earlier. "Her mother? You're really going to ask her mother?"

Stoick frowned and shrugged, bothered by the fact that his son was so distressed, "I don't see why not."

Hiccup stole a glance at Helga, who stared back with narrowed eyes. "She was giving me weird looks during the ceremony. I mean, it wasn't like any look I've seen lately. It's like this...hateful scowl."

Stoick's expression hardened into a somewhat threatening look. "Oh, did she?" He snuck a glance at Helga.

"Yeah," Hiccup shrugged sadly. "I'm not upset at her or anything but, it's like, every time she looks at me its with this disappointed scowl, like someone skimped the meat out on her sandwich." Hm. That sounded familiar.

"Well," Stoick reasoned, "I know Helga may seem like a stoic person, but I'm sure she'll warm up to you. These thing take time, you know."

"Yeah? I guess so. Stoic. Hm. Isn't that what your name entails?" Hiccup asked with a chuckle.

Feeling a bit left out, Astrid eased her way into the conversation. "Hey guys," she greeted cheerfully, "What happens now?"

Hiccup took a start at the question. He glanced at his father for help, who just nodded expectantly. "Uh, it turns out that we're ah, doing the whole consummation after all," he weakly informed the girl. "You know...the whole thing where we have to do...that. In front of...them." He jabbed a thumb at the crowd gathered at the doors.

Astrid scrunched her eyebrows, looking as if she were going to barf. "I thought we were past that part," she pointed out reasonably, gesturing to her bloated stomach.

Hiccup jumped on her point. "Yeah, can we skip it?" He pleaded. "Please? I really don't fancy doing that in front of anyone."

Astrid agreed, shuddering in disgust. "It's making me feel weird just thinking about it."

The chief rubbed the space between his eyes. The truth was, he hadn't been told what to do in this type of situation while he was a heir in training. Sure, he had married off many couples and had been a witness to their consummations, but what to do when the girl already happened to be pregnant? "I want to hear your mother's opinion on the matter," Stoick decided, turning his back on the two teenagers to head for the group of adults.

Astrid sighed and Hiccup rolled his emerald eyes for the umpteenth time that day. "This should be good," he muttered, crossing his lanky arms over his chest for a sense of security.

"Hey Hiccup!" Tuffnut, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, sprung between the couple, causing them to yelp in shock. He snickered at their reactions and ignored Astrid's delivered punch to his shoulder.

"Oh, hi Tuff," the slightly younger Viking sighed wearily, situating himself once the initial shock wore off. Forcing a smile onto his face, he asked, "Having a good time?"

Tuffnut chuckled, looking quite pleased. "Heck yeah!" He exclaimed, waving a leg of mutton in the air. "Did you try the mutton? Great stuff, great stuff..." He trailed off to take a chomp of the meat, and then chewing noisily. "Sho, mwa ah ya gonna doe eht?" He asked with a devious smile, his mouth still full of mutton.

"E-Excuse me?"

Tuffnut held up a finger, swallowed, and with a sly grin on his face, asked, "So, when are you gonna _do_ it? Hmmmm?" He was directing this question at Hiccup, wiggling his eyebrows.

Astrid caught on immediately and stepped forward with her fist in the air, fully prepared to strike if Tuffnut dared to continue. He cowered and flitted away with his hands up in defense. "Hey, hey, hey! It's a simple question," he defended, unable to keep the smirk off his face.

"Yeah, we're just curious!" This time, it was Ruffnut that popped out of nowhere, wrapping an arm around Astrid's temporarily unarmored shoulders. Hiccup covered his face in a combination of exasperation and humiliation.

"Guys, c'mon," he pleaded in embarrassment, "Can't you keep those personal questions to yourself?" The twins looked at each other and shook their heads in perfect unison. At that, Hiccup face-palmed with a groan, "Well, do me a favor and try, okay?"

"Okay, okay. I'll try," Tuffnut assured the other male, and not even two seconds later he sighed distantly, "I give up. But I tried, right? So give me the details when you're done servicing each other, will ya?"

Hiccup went red in the face and he snapped, "No! That's none of your business."

"Oh come ON!" Tuffnut protested with a whine. "I wanna know the details, man, DETAILS! And it's nothing personal; it's just a guy thing."

"A guy thing?" Having had enough of the twin's antics, Astrid shrugged Ruffnut off her shoulder and dangerously approached the male, her teeth gritted and her fists clenched. "How much do you _really_ want to know, Tuffnut Thortsen?" She growled with narrowed eyes, causing him to finally recognize the warning signals and back off a bit. "Really. How much?"

Fortunately, for his sake, he recognized the danger signals. "Uh... Not that much... Maybe not that much," the other blonde mumbled, averting his eyes from hers. But when she still seemed unsatisfied with his answer, he desperately thought of an escape route. "Uh, look!" He pointed at a random place in the hall, "A distraction!" Astrid actually took a glance behind her shoulder (and mentally slapped herself later for it) and Tuffnut seized the opportunity by sprinting away, hauling his sister in tow in a fit of snickers.

"Wha-? Hey!" The blonde shouted in fury at the retreating forms, "Get back here you mutton-heads!" Her blast of a shout managed to gain the attention of several Vikings, much to Hiccup's dismay.

To ease her nerves, the male gently rested a hand over her shoulder, causing her to flinch at the touch. "I would just ignore them," he advised, "You know Ruff and Tuff; they try to get on our nerves all the time. This isn't any different from what they do every day."

Astrid calmed a bit at his reasoning, and though she hated to admit it, she knew he was right. The twins were always incorrigible, so what was new? With a heavy roll of her sky-blue eyes, she rested her own hand over his freckled one. "True enough," she admitted begrudgingly, rubbing her callused fists together. "But that still won't stop me from kicking their butts later. So, on that cheery note... Do we seriously have to do the whole consummation, or is it just an option?"

"HICCUP! ASTRD! Come over here, the both of you. IT'S TIME!" Stoick's booming voice echoes off the walls before Hiccup had yet again a chance to answer. The two adolescents gave each other wry looks before turning to face the tightly packed group of adults that were gathered at the grand doors of the Great Hall. Helga and Stoick seemed to have come to an agreement, because for once, they weren't gazing disapprovingly at each other. Of course, that didn't stop Helga from delivering her ever-constant death glares to Hiccup.

"I wouldn't count on it," the fourteen-year-old muttered sourly.

…

**Author's note: NEW POLL! If you guys like or don't like the idea of Toothless and Stormfly mating at Snoggletog, you can now cast your vote on my new poll. Tell me what you think! Remember I'm trying to keep the story a little realistic. And trust me, writing a realistic story about a world with dragons comes easy. Really. *Rolls eyes* Anyway, I think I'll have more polls as the story goes on, so stay tuned and cast your vote. (If you are without an account, I suppose you can just write it in a review anonymously)**

**And of writing: Typing. Takes. FOREVER! My thumbs are turning purple. What more can I say? Except for... Oh yes! There is an overload of Hiccstrid in the next chapter. So hold on to your hats! Because...you're gonna tip over and it's gonna fall off.**

**I don't think the word "bastard" technically counts as a bad word in the way I used it. It means, "fatherless". And I used it in that term. Not in a bad way.**

**Do yer old pal Emma a favor and favorite Mishap by Mug. Or follow. Whatever. I have typed over thirty pages and I'm dying. I GOTTA STOP TYPING BEFORE MY FINGERS FALL OFF!**

**Ps: If anyone got the "Look! A distraction!" reference, I LOVE you for that! *whispers* ****It's a Fanboy and Chum Chum reference.**


	6. Mishap by Consummation

**A/N: Hello once again my faithful Fanrats! I'm at track meet while typing this. San Clemente and Yorba Linda High Schools? YOU'RE GOING DOWN! And my darn friends won't stop looking over my shoulder... AHEM. Okay, they're gone! **

**Since I forgot to put the disclaimers on the last few chapters, I'll do it now. Ahem. I do not own the "How To Train Your Dragon" franchise. It strictly belongs to its rightful owners. And I state that in the gloomiest possible way, because in a nutshell, I don't own it. Though, my Math teacher's sister DID work on the animation for it. *shrug***

**Commence ze responses:**

**MHJohn64th:It****'****s already summer in your country!? Dang, it****'****s spring where I am. :( Naw, it****'****s cool. I love when people ramble in reviews instead of saying things like. ****"****Nice job****" ****or ****"****update soon****"****. And your response to Snotlout is exactly the reaction I****'****ve been striving to see from my readers. I want you all to hate what he****'****s done, but still have a bit of a connection. Since we****'****ve all been guilty for something, we can sort of feel for him and feel sorry that he can****'****t find a proper way to redeem himself. Remember, even though Snotlout is an arrogant jerk, he still genuinely cares for his cousin. He still feels guilty about what he****'****s done. I don****'****t want his character to be all hate, because deep down, he has feelings too. I****'****m so happy you like the story and I hope you write more reviews in the future! **

**Guest****: Snotlout IS insane! It's all a part of his master plan.**

**HugsandBugsSmileyface: You mean... The rumors are true? They do exist? I NEED ONE OF THOSE PRONTO! Man, to own one of those little beauties would be amazing! No more purple thumbs, no more cramped fingers, and *checks price* ...and my parents would have a fit.**

**Guest****(Number Two): Me thinks you have good judgment.**

**SharKohen****: Tuffnut will forever be a lovable, wonderful moron. According to your review: I don't believe ELSA wants to kill Hiccup. I'm sure you meant Helga. ^ ^ And I absolutely adore writing the father/son relationship fluffiness! Squeal!**

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**TigerLily the Wild: I've actually never seen the RoB games before. Hm. Well that might complicate a few things. I'll just have to count up the votes and see how you Fanrats want it. And fear not, I'd never write things like...that. *turns green***

**Guest (number four): No, I'm not seriously going to write "that". C'mon people, I have the morals of an angel! An angel that writes stories about...teenage pregnancy, apparently.**

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**"..."**

**F-F...Fletcher... W...Why? WHY?!**

**Guest****(number five): Thanks for the tip. I've always liked my subtle little winks to the readers that Jack Frost is out there. Heh. And when I mean a subtle little wink, I mean a STAB to the eye with a freaking SALAD FORK.**

**PuppeteerOllie****: Sorry to disappoint you, but unfortunately for our "dynamic duo" Stoick and Helga aren't letting them get away with anymore than they already have. (By the by, you're picture scares me)! O.O**

**estefania5683: Why thank you! Positive reviews always tend to help me update quicker.**

**aricawebb13: Now YOU are a faithful Fanrat. Seriously, you've been with this story since the beginning and I'm so happy you keep reading and reviewing! Cheers man!**

**stormless: You want Stormfly and Toothless to have babies? Again, I have to count up the votes to come to a conclusion, but thank you. :)**

**Guest****(the obnoxious one): OKAY, YOU MIGHT AS WELL TYPE IN ALL CAPS WHILE WRITING AND ADD NO PUNCTUATION TO YOUR REVIEW EITHER BECAUSE WHAT THE HECK YOU PRACTICALLY JUST SPELLED OUT THE ENTIRE FUTURE OF THE STORY BY THE BY I MIGHT HAVE A POLL REVOLVING AROUND THE FUTURE OFFSPRING OF HICCUP AND ASTRID AND ALSO I CALL THE SHOTS WHEN IT COMES TO NAMING THE BABIES HONEY! **

**...Cripes, that was a long one.**

**Guest****(cripes...another?): You find it weird for a Nadder and a Nightfury to mate? Buddy, I feel you.**

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**the death bringer779: You purposely write with a Caribbean accent? Sweet. I might as well write with a German one. Zo, vat 'ave you been up to? En PS: you git your weesh. Ze dragons shall block ze entrance!**

**nightfury153: Thank you, I'm glad you understand. Oh, and be warned. This chapter's awkward.**

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**Guest****(response to chapter one): Oh believe me. Snotlout's a goner.**

**Guest: (ANOTHER ONE?): They****'****ll find out sooner or later****…****or will they?**

**And a big congratulations to RossSaltmer, for being the 100th follower! :D You can be my honorary Fanrat. I'll even kick out SuperBacon3000! XD **

**109 FOLLOWERS, FANRATS! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! YOU SHOULD! CAUSE I'M AWESOME!**

**Cripes, let's get on with the chapter, eh?**

_Chapter Six: Mishap by Consummation _

The witnesses begrudgingly escorted Hiccup and Astrid out of the Great Hall. It was soon after Helga and Stoick had clarified to them that there was no getting out of the consummation. For once, Helga was agreeable to the terms, but only if she were there to be a witness.

The two teens' protests were dismissed nearly instantly. It didn't take long for them to give up after remembering that trying to change a Viking's mind was like embarking on a mission to the moon: impossible. So that's why they were silent on the way there, only stopping once when Toothless and Stormfly playfully blocked the entrance to Stoick's home.

It was peculiar that the dragons appeared well-informed about the upcoming trials. This was depicted through their actions. Stormfly zipped forward and nuzzled her rider, giving her a few good licks here and there, and much to Astrid's dismay, cautiously inspected between her legs with her beak-like maw to see if she was ready for mating. Toothless gave Hiccup encouraging warbles and encouraging little nudges toward his partner.

_"How do they know?"_ Hiccup wondered in embarrassment, but then he figured that the dragons were taking in some sort of hormonal scent that radiated from his body; his pheromones, perhaps.

Just as he suspected, the dragons were excited for their riders' bonding moment. They would like to witness such a special moment, but with all the other Vikings in the room, they couldn't possibly fit.

So after the last Viking had entered the house and left the two dragons alone in the dead of night, Toothless turned to Stormfly. He bobbed his head in excitement and warbled something that probably meant, _"Finally! Finally! Finally! Ah'v been waiting so long for zem to finally secure zeir bond!"_

_The _Deadly Nadder squawked, which probably meant something like, _"Dae ye not 'ave the knowledge of their bond? My dear, dear Toothless, it is already secured."_

The Nightfury garbled in surprise, which probably meant, _"Vatevar di you mean?"_

Stormfly curled her tail in a rather arrogant way and probably replied, _"Ah em quite surprised that such an intelligently-labeled creature like yeself hasn't unraveled the obvious."_

Toothless halted and floundered back, methodically insulted. _"Ze obvious you say? And vat vould zat be?"_

Out of habit, Stormfly began to smarten her lovely wings and replied conceitedly, for she already understood the answer, _"Me fahn, fahn Nightfury. Dae ye not see that our riders have already mated? They've already sealed the bond."_

Toothless blinked and then beamed a gummy smile at the Deadly Nadder. _"But, but you don't mean-?"_

_"Ah caught ze scent of her young as ah was grooming her for th' ritual jist now,"_ Stormfly must have revealed, lifting her spiked head proudly. _"They ah not that far along-most likely a few months at best."_ She let out a screechy laugh at the way Toothless pranced about in excitement.

_"Eet es true! Eet es true!" _The Nightfury must have trilled in happiness. _"My rider es goin' to 'ave young of heez own!"_ The Deadly Nadder put in her own fair share of enthusiasm by extracting her spikes and flinging them into the air. They landed safely on the roof, sticking out quite comically.

_"Dae you knae what else this means?" _Stormfly squawked, probably taking on a more serious tone, causing Toothless to pause in his bounding.

_"Eet...probably means zat 'iccup weel be quite busy," _the midnight dragon crooned sadly, hanging his head. "_Vee vill most likely 'old off on zee traveling..."_

If dragons could roll their eyes, Stormfly would have done it without hesitation. _"Sae selfish... Nae, ye prawn! This means that as th' dominant species of the world, we 'ave a very important role to fulfill to th' humans."_

_"And zat vould be...?"_

Stormfly hissed and spread her wings_. "T' help protect their young! Ah mean no discontent to th' humans, but they ah not proper protecters. Mah rider was nearly killed in that horrendous ring on numerous occasions, and daen't get me started on yer own little rider! It's own father nearly ruptured him. Yes," _the Deadly Nadder firmly decided. "_Ye and ah shall help protect th' young of our riders, at all and any cost when they ah undecided."_

_"Just like 'ow you cannot decide on yer accent_," the Nightfury teased, causing the Deadly Nadder to bristle. _"Ah mean, vat ees eet? French? Scandinavian? Highlander? Swedish?"_

_"Get ovah yeself, ye useless reptile," _Stormfly fired back with her chest puffed out in arrogance, pleased when Toothless growled in agitation.

...

The consummation was just as awkward and humiliating as Hiccup had pictured it. N-Not that he had visualized it before, but...

Having to do the "deed" in front of every adult he knew, including his own father and Astrid's parents was just downright degrading.

No. Not only was it degrading, but he also had to put up with the ever-constant glares spearing him in the back whilst he was fulfilling the task. Seriously? As if doing it with an audience was bad enough. Then he additionally had to worry about getting axed in the back by his new mother-in-law.

Hiccup couldn't comprehend why that woman spent so much time and effort hammering it in everyone's mind that she, frankly, hated him. Then again, he could fathom why she was distressed about the unplanned pregnancy. Who wouldn't be? But the way she was reacting to his very being with such loathe, how she glared at him, how she refused to call him by his first name and referred to him as the "Haddock boy", how she spat at his name; one would rightfully assume that Hiccup had done something absurdly horrendous. That he intended what he and Astrid had accidentally done. But that was what Helga refused to believe: that it was an _accident _and not his intention.

For the preponderance of the session, Hiccup made multiple failed attempts to disregard Astrid's mother. It was impartially difficult, considering the fact that she made some offhand comments about his _size_, his status in the village, and how he wasn't worth her daughter. This was both embarrassing and humiliating since the boy was already self-conscious about himself and worried what Astrid thought of him.

Speaking of Astrid, she was downright mortified by her mother's behavior. It was problematic enough to at least enjoy the consummation for what it was without comments emitting from said audience. But no. She lay as still as she substantially could, a blank look consuming her face the entire time. She didn't even try to react to the carnality.

How on Berk did the adults come to this? The one time they could have disagreed and the newly-wedded couple might have gone off Scott-free. But despite their outer turmoil with one another, it seemed as though Stoick the Vast and Helga Hofferson had come to a covenant after all. Thor only knew how _that_ discussion went. Because Astrid was already pregnant, how did they not see that it was meaningless?

For the millionth time, Hiccup wondered why was it that adult Vikings were so stalwart. Not that the children weren't stubborn either, but they were not the ones calling the shots.

"Ah...Consummation," the fourteen-year-old male thought miserably. The sure way to rid one's self of pride and dignity in the lowest possible way. Hiccup made a mental note to spare his child the discomfiture when he became Chief. It was the least he could do. But he was sure that his own father would be there to make sure that his son was not to stray from tradition even then.

After said consummation was complete, the adults all respectfully vacated themselves from the premises of Hiccup's room, leaving a very exhausted and squeamish couple in its wake.

Now that they were alone together for the first time since the inferential at the Forge, they soon found that conversing with each other was like trying to animate a corpse from the dead. Point blank: the awkwardness was _abundant_.

Hiccup propped himself up on his elbows and shakily salvaged his trousers, which had been carefully discarded before "it" began, and quickly shimmied them up his legs. Not wanting to reveal anything too personal during the session, he had remained clad in his forest-green tunic, which hemmed down to his lower thighs. Also apprehensive for her own modesty, Astrid's armored skirt remained where it was, only her leggings removed.

After the fourteen-year-olds redressed themselves, they sat across from each other; each too weary and discomfited to say much of anything without going a beet-red. Hiccup could hear his father politely dismiss the witnesses from his home until they were all but Helga and Egil, absent.

Muffled voices of the three adults could be heard through the floorboards, audible enough for the noise to reach the ears of the newlywed teenagers. Hiccup blew out a bit of air, clasping his hands together. "So," he began inelegantly, averting his emerald eyes from her sky-blue ones. "How's it going?"

Astrid gave him a dumb look.

Hiccup swiftly shrugged his scrawny shoulders in defense. "I heard it!" He dissented. "Sorry. I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed by what just happened."

"Aren't we all?" Astrid agreed, biting her bottom lip as she blushed. She leaned against the headboard while Hiccup sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed. "And as to how I'm feeling? Sick to my stomach, if you want me to be honest."

The Viking raised his eyebrows at this precipitous news. "Oh! Are you okay?" He asked in concern, eyeing her abdomen with worry. "I-Is there anything I could-Wait. Did I...?" He audibly gulped.

"Hiccup. I'm fine. You didn't hurt me," Astrid insisted when the uneasy expression failed to leave his face. "Relax. It's just the baby; nothing I can't handle."

If her sickness hadn't earned his attention, THAT certainly did. Throughout the consummation, the teen tried to evict the idea that she was pregnant from his mind, but now that it was over, reality was once again disclosed, "The baby," Hiccup breathed incredulously. It felt strange to mention it aloud. "The baby," he repeated to get a feel for it.

Astrid nodded and grinned softly, resting a hand over the holder. "Yep. It's right here." She was surprised by the intensity of his movements as he scrambled close, parking himself at her side, which caused her to redden.

Peering at his face that was illuminated by the flickering candlelight, she realized that his sharp, emerald eyes were fixated on her swollen stomach with utmost observance. He was curious over this unfamiliar sight. It was so unusual that he didn't know what to make of it. Blinking rapidly, he cocked his head to the side, much like the Nightfury currently residing outside.

"W-What does it feel like?" He questioned suddenly, after a moment's silence.

Astrid's blue eyes widened just the slightest. She gazed at the small bump and sighed, leaning back against the headboard. "What does it feel like?" She repeated, closing her eyes out of tiredness. "Um, it's like a normal stomachache."

"Yeah! Oh, oh no! I meant the baby!" Hiccup exclaimed, the sleepy drone in his voice spontaneously vanishing. "I-I mean, it's like a _whole_ little person inside of you! Literally inside of you!" He rambled. "It's growing and changing and-" His tone of voice denoted that he was in awe. "That's...that's our... That's _ours_."

"Thank you Chief Obvious." Astrid chuckled at his enthusiasm. "You're more excited about it than I am," she admitted truthfully. "Trust me, if you were the one carrying this thing around for nine months, you'd get sick of it too."

"Yeah?" Hiccup crossed his lanky arms and pretended to frown. It bothered him a little how she referred to the baby as an "It". "It couldn't be _that_ bad, could it?"

Astrid groaned and rubbed her forehead, brushing her sweaty blonde bangs to the side. "Oh, PUH-LEEZE. Hiccup, you have no idea how strenuous it is."

"Whoa-oh-ho!" Hiccup chuckled in amusement. "I-I think I've got a pretty solid idea of how strenuous it is. The idea...the idea _alone_ stresses me out."

Astrid let out a chuckle of her own and shook her head. "It's not the same. Trust me."

"Care to elucidate?" The auburn-haired boy challenged, folding his arms.

Astrid narrowed her eyes and articulated with an air of thinness to her voice, "You would hate it. The mood swings, the mutton cravings, the mood swings, the mood swings, and the mood swings..." She counted the cons off of her callused fingers, her voice growing thinner and more pleasant. "Watch out, Haddock. I'm gonna end up being your worst nightmare."

"I don't doubt that," Hiccup gibed with a nod, and he halted when Astrid gave him yet another death glare. "I heard it!" He jested. "I guess it isn't that great of an experience after all." He suddenly shivered, only now aware of the chilling air that kissed his skin. "Um, can you scoot over a bit?" He asked, taking on a timid modulation.

"Sure," the girl grunted, heaving her exhausted, spent body over to the right to make room for her partner until she was pressed against the wall. Hiccup shimmied himself under the thin blanket and found that since his bed was rather small, they were amusingly contiguous. This new impression of closeness was fairly new to the young lad, and he squirmed uncomfortably against her body.

"Geeze," Astrid exhaled, fumbling around to get comfortable with the male whilst she prayed to the Gods up above that her blush would go unnoticed, "You need to pack on some more quilts. This one won't exactly shield you from Devastating Winter, won't it?"

"Ha!" Hiccup laughed in embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck. "Dad always told me that more layers meant you were a wuss or something." Astrid snorted and the boy sighed. "It's stupid, I know. I told him that catching a cold wouldn't prove anything, but..." His emerald eyes flickered to his lap. "Even though I defeated the Red Death and everything, he still expects me to be the tough Viking he is. And I'm not." There was a touch of sadness in his nonchalant voice, and the golden-haired girl smiled sympathetically.

"Listen here," Astrid declared with an edge to her voice. She placed a hand under his lightly-scarred chin and tilted his head toward hers so that their eyes met. "If your father still can't see the strong, courageous, intelligent Viking that I see, I'll tie him to a mast and ship him off."

To his credit, Hiccup was genuinely touched, and a bit surprised as well. He had picked up bits and pieces about his popularity through the circulation of rumors of Berk, but he brushed it off, calling it praise that was higher than warranted. But he never expected to hear those words out of Astrid's mouth. It wasn't the gibber-jabber gossip that spewed from the villagers. It was her and it felt sincere. It made his heart flutter in his bony chest. He let out a tiny exhale of surprise at the sugary-sweet words and leaned into the girl's hand, which in his mind, was the softest thing in the world.

Unfortunately, the blush on his usually pale, freckled complexion was accentuated more than ever, and Astrid smirked at his shyness. "Th-Thank you... Astrid. You... You have no idea how much that means to me. Heh. E-Even if it isn't true-" His eyes flickered away.

"Oh it's true alright," the female firmly insisted, stroking her thumb along his soft jawline. "And don't you let anyone tell you otherwise. Got it?"

"But I'm, I'm not strong, er-" he paused at Astrid's icy glare. "Okay okay, you're right. You're right!" He quickly amended, and to his relief, the girl's look softened. "Sorta. I just don't get what you see in me."

"Ugh. You're waaaay too humble," Astrid teased, removing her hand from his cheek and hiking the blanket up to her shoulders. Much to Hiccup's dismay, there wasn't enough blanket left for him and he frowned. "And sometimes, a bit of an idiot, since you're blind to the reasons why I'm attracted to you." So that was how it was going to be?

Hiccup grinned a sly grin and tugged the blanket over to his side, leaving her with only a third of the patchwork material. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with being humble, Astrid," he retaliated. "And I'm serious about not knowing why you're quote-unquote "attracted" to me. I mean, look at me! I'm-" he laughed, "-I'm a talking fishbone!"

"Pfft, it's common sense, really. For instance, you're the hero of the whole Scandinavian Archipelago!" Astrid grunted, wrenching the blanket from his weak grasp. "That's certainly a plus, so who cares if you're a fishbone? ...C'mon, give me some room!" Hiccup took hold of the blanket and yanked back with great force.

"It's _my_ bed!" He haughtily pointed out. Astrid's complexion darkened considerably and Hiccup realized his mistake. "Er, _our_ bed. Um, but you're always welcome to...never mind." He scrambled deep under the cover of fabric and hid his freckled face, which was burning. "What were we talking about before this?" He mumbled, "Oh yes. How horrible the pregnancy is?"

"Well..." Astrid contradicted thoughtfully, thinking to last night when she basically had a one sided conversation with her unborn baby, and how mystified and perplexed she found herself by what she had done. "Maybe I was over exaggerating. It isn't _all_ bad...in a sense."

"Oh," Hiccup perked, uncovering his face. "Well, it's comforting to know that you're not _completely_ in peril. And what sense would that be?"

Astrid, embarrassingly, stumbled over her carefully chosen words. "In a sense that there's a person...in me," she patted her tummy, "that's alive. It's, it's weird, huh?"

"No! Not weird, but... What does it feel like?" He questioned. What was it like to have a living person inside?

"I told you," Astrid groaned, dimming his excited mood, "The mutton cravings? The aches? The mood swings? It's no picnic."

"Yyyyyeah, okay. But what about when it _doesn't_ hurt?" The other teen corrected patiently. "When you feel fine, what does it feel like?"

"Hiccup," Astrid rubbed the space between her eyes and Hiccup grinned, peeking through the cover. "Always asking questions..."

"I have a natural curiosity."

"Why do you want to know so badly anyway?" She questioned, unconsciously reaching down to tug at his auburn locks.

"Ow!"

"So, why?"

"It's essential for me to know!"

"Hiccup, please."

"Why won't you answer my queeeestion?" He sang under his breath, a small smirk on his face. "I didn't realize it was that big of a deal."

"Haddock, I swear to-!"

"Technically, _you're_ a Haddock now too," Hiccup pointed out.

That stumped her. "Oh... Oh, WHAT, I am?" Astrid narrowed and rolled her azure eyes, playfully slugging his bone-thin shoulder, to which he cried out in pain. She was apparently unaware of the difference between playful punches and painful slugs. "Astrid Haddock," she repeated to get a feel for it. "Thanks for that, by the way. I would've never figured it out."

"But-?"

"Keep your tunic on, Dragon Boy. I'll get to it," Astrid assured the male. "Now," she began, taking hold of one of his hands with a surprising gentleness that she hadn't adorned before, "if you really want to know what it feels like, you'll have to feel it yourself."

This was so unexpected that Hiccup nearly jerked his hand away in surprise. "W-Wait, what are you-?"

"Shh!" Astrid shushed him, and patiently guided his hand to her stomach, after pulling her bound shirt up. "You want to know." Jumping a bit as his cold, spidery fingers came into contact with her skin, Astrid smiled proudly as his jaw dropped just the slightest.

He...He couldn't believe it. He was touching it. Actually touching it. How long had the teenager waited to come into contact with this area? Too long for his tastes. His trembling, spidery fingers softly brushed against the warmth of her silky skin as gently as he could bear, his mind temporarily going blank. Why this was such a marvel was beyond him, but then again, the life inside of her was outside the range of his comprehension.

Reality was once again illustrated in the curve of the mound that protected the young one inside; that it was there, that it was still _true_. All of it. The Viking was going to be a father. A young one, but he was going to be a father nonetheless. In fact, he _was_ a father. Right there, right then. And Astrid was a mother. A rush of nervous excitement flowed throughout his being at the terrifying notion.

"_This is real,_" he thought slowly, almost as if he were convincing himself. "_This is...This is your child. This is your son or daughter. This...this..._" He lightly shuddered with a soft exhale, and dragged his fingers over to the far right of her stomach, barely brushing his digits along the skin. This action caused Astrid to unexpectedly jolt and giggle.

As to not draw suspicion, she slapped a hand over her mouth, but Hiccup had already reached the conclusion before she could deny anything. His smirk was wider than ever now, radiating amusement. "Oh! Astrid? Does, does that...tickle?" He asked in amusement, smiling a devilish grin. "Does it?" He held up his freckled, bony hands and wriggled his fingers for emphasis. "Hm? Does it?"

Astrid brushed her platinum bangs to the side and tried to regain a serious expression, but failed miserably. "Hiccup," she warned, pointing a rigid finger and pressing herself against the headboard as he slowly advanced, "Whatever you're thinking, stop. Don't you da-AHA!" He had pounced upon her, swiping his clever fingers against her ribcage, activating the sensitive nerves that lay hidden beneath the soft layer of skin. "NO-OHOHOHAAAA! Hi-Hi-Hiccup! S-Stohahaha!" Astrid cackled, desperately pressing her hands against his scrawny chest at an attempt to push his body away, but failed.

"S-Seriouslahahaha! Huh-HICCUP!" She cried out, laughing uncontrollably as his fingers prodded her ribcage. Ah, perfect. Just the perfect time for someone to discover she beyond ticklish. And there she was, pinned under this scrawny fishbone of a boy, at his mercy. "ST-STOP! GUHAHAHA!"

Hiccup smiled and snorted at her command. "Fat chance!" He replied, knowing he would most likely regret saying that later but not caring in the least. "Coochie-coo!"

Astrid rolled her eyes at his absurdity, said eyes beginning to tear up from the pressure of trying to contain her own constant chortles. "Oh, COME ON-AHAHA! Not... *gasp* Not the SOUNDS!"

"Yes, the sounds!" Hiccup laughed, each of his legs on either side of her waist as he attacked her mercilessly.

Down below, Stoick was currently residing in his own chief-sized bed, but more awake than ever as he listened to the unidentified noises emitting form the upstairs. Troubled to a fearful extent, the man stared up at the ceiling. There came the muffled sound of Astrid squealing, "No! Stop-AH! *gasp*C-Can't, c-can't TAKE it anymore! HICCUP!"

"What in the name of Odin?" Stoick questioned aloud in confusion. Thinking that the true realization had dawned on him, he sat up, quite annoyed, and slapped a hand over his well-chiseled face. "Ye two _just_ had..."

"H-Huh...Hiccup..." There was heavy breathing and Stoick stood stock-still and listened in horror. And then, "WAIT! HICCUP, STOPAHAHAHA! I CAN'T! NOT AGAIN!" That was enough for the vast man, and he lumbered across his home with a grumble, face red with what he could only call shame.

Another round of uncontrollable laughter caused him to tilt his head up toward the top of the wooden staircase. "Keep it down up there!" He roared. And with a shake of his head, he vacated his home for the Great Hall. "The walls aren't sound-proof for Thor's sake," he muttered, and caught sight of the Deadly Nadder quills that Stormfly had spiked into the roof earlier. "Odin...This is not my night."

Upon hearing his father's command, Hiccup at last gave the girl a break, much to her relief. "Y...You heard him!" Astrid gasped, going limp in Hiccup's arms when he finally ceased to tickle her. She reached up and weakly grabbed at his seamed collar. "He...He said to keep it d...down." The boy cocked his head to the side and listened for a moment.

"I think he left," the youngster laughed, the cruel smirk once again adorning his freckled face. "Sooo..."

Astrid's eyes widened once more. "Hiccup," she spoke sharply as she dared as he once again backed her into the corner. "Hiccup?" She yelled, bunching her knees up as far as she could, due to her pregnant state. "Hiccup! Don't you dare! _Hiccup_! I'm warning-GAHAHAHAHAHA!" Once again, he pounced, and she was at his mercy once more. He grinned, liking the feeling of dominance. This would have gone on for a while, but what resided outside the sanctuary would ruin the moment.

Unbeknownst to the newly wedded couple, the twins were just outside the house, shoving and hissing at each other to keep quiet. After they saw the Chief leave his home in an angry daze, they hurried over to the back of the house and parked themselves under Hiccup's window.

"Ow! You stepped on my foot!"

"Shut it, Butt-Elf, I'm trying to listen!" Tuffnut growled, giving his sister a good smack on the shoulder. She snarled terribly at the action and slugged him right back. "Ow!"

"You shut it! Now, do ya hear anything?!" The pair peered up at the window of Hiccup's room, which was alit in a warm, rosy glow. A few muffled giggles escaped from said window, but much else.

"Aw, great. We missed it," Tuffnut griped angrily. "Good goin' sis. This is all your fault."

Ruffnut gaped at her brother. "Mine?" She sneered. "Maybe we would've gotten here quicker if you hadn't gone to the bathroom eighty-eight times!" Tuffnut crossed his arms out of defiance and his pale cheeks darkened to a brilliant crimson.

"Whatever," he mumbled, "It's a guy thi-wait. Do ya hear that?"

"Wha-?" A quick jab to the ribs ceased her speech.

"SHHH! Listen!" Tuffnut insisted with an impatient wave of his hands. The twins miraculously stilled for a moment, and sure enough, the hysterical laughter of Astrid emitted from the window and traveled down to the ears of the siblings, who mistook the noise for...something else.

Tuffnut pumped his fists into the air at the sound, clearly excited for his male friend. "Haha! Yeah!" He cackled a little too loudly, which awoke Toothless from his light slumber from the other side of the house. With a reptilian yawn, the dragon lumbered around the corner of said house just in time to see Tuffnut shout in encouragement, "Give it to her, Hiccup!" Toothless stopped short in surprise.

Back in Hiccup's room, the two teenagers froze. "Did...Did you just hear...?" Astrid whispered, her eyes darting this way and that. Hiccup instantly recognized the voice and his eyes narrowed. What were Ruffnut and Tuffnut doing there?! Wait...unless... His left eye twitched. Of all the lowdown, dirty...

That was it. He had had enough. They had been teasing him all day and now...they had crossed the line. They had purposely and unequivocally crossed that invisible line of moral that Hiccup was so desperate to keep up for he and Astrid's sake. Now, he could deal with the snide remarks; that for certain left no doubt. Verbal teasing was one thing. Actual investigation of his private and personal life was straddling-no-jumping the fence of what he deemed standard.

With a deep, impatient inhale through the nose, Hiccup mumbled, "I'll take care of this," and stomped to the window, his anger rising rapidly.

Astrid's eyes widened in realization. "Wait," she protested in disbelief. "Was that-?"

"The twins? Yeah," Hiccup confirmed, sticking his head out the window and glaring down at the culprits. "TUFFNUT!" He shouted, anger coursing through his veins. "RUFFNUT!"

Tuffnut smiled up at him, stupidly unaware of just how upset his friend was. "Hey Hiccup!" He greeted casually, and noticed the boy's state of dress. "Wow," he said, impressed. "You're better at this than I thought. How'd you get your clothes on so fast?"

Hiccup spluttered for a moment, at a temporary loss for words until he spotted a very annoyed and sleepy Toothless. He glanced back-and-forth between the twins and the dragon, and his grip on the windowsill tightened until his knuckles turned white from the pressure. "TOOTHLESS!" He shouted with unexpected volume, causing the twins and the dragon to jolt, as well as Astrid. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Sic 'em."

The girl would've gone to investigate herself, but after the mad tickling session she was forced to endure, as well as what transpired earlier, she was downright exhausted. Besides, it was interesting when Hiccup got all riled up; a rare occurrence to say the least. Noteworthy.

The dragon turned his gaze from his master and glared at the siblings with his forest-green eyes, the pupils turning to slits. He growled roughly, causing them to nervously back away. Even they didn't want to get on the dragon's bad side. "Aw great, now the Nightfury's mad at us," the blonde male complained, elbowing his sister. "Tell him you're sorry."

"WHAT?!" Ruffnut barked, yanking on her brother's dirty, blonde dreadlocks. "This was your idea, you idiot! YOU apologize!"

"Heck no-!"

Toothless cut them off with a deafening roar that made their ears ring and stood up on his hind legs, spreading out his bat-like wings to appear more menacing. The full moon behind him outlined his midnight scales like a silhouette, creating quite the dark effect. It did the trick, and the twins were soon running with their helmet-clad heads down, yelling and insulting each other all the way.

Hiccup nodded in satisfaction. "Thanks, Bud," he thanked the Nightfury, who grumbled in protest before settling back down to sleep. The fourteen-year-old male sighed and rubbed his forehead as the winter air chilled his body. "They're gone now," he informed his new wife, who sat with her arms crossed in amusement.

"Let me know if Toothless eats them," she half-joked, but paused as Hiccup approached her with a much less-than-cheerful expression. "Hey," she said, her mock smile disappearing, "like you said earlier, the twins are who they are. This isn't anything new."

"Funny, I thought you'd be a lot more upset at this," Hiccup said dryly, laying back in the bed and burying himself underneath the bedspread. "It's just... I don't know. Teasing is one thing, but what they were trying to do was just-"

"-Awful?" Astrid volunteered. "Despicable? Horrible? Lowdown?"

"Try all of the above," Hiccup sighed, turning over on his side, his back to her. "Sorry about getting all...you know."

"It's fine," Astrid dismissed with a flippant wave of her hand. "I mean, telling Toothless to "sic 'em"? That was pretty cool. ...Hey," she added softly, putting a hand on his shoulder, gently massaging the area. The sooner she changed the subject, the better. "I-"

"HICCUP? HICCUP!"

The two fourteen-year-olds jolted and Hiccup stared at the window once again. "Seriously?" He groaned in disbelief, stalking over to the frame and looking out. "Is the whole village gonna visit us t-? Snotlout?" He gasped angrily and shook his head to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, but his cousin remained in his line of vision. "W-Wha...?" He sputtered. "What're you doing here?"

Snotlout wasn't looking at him; his chocolate eyes trained guiltily the rocky ground. "I... Look, Hiccup," he said gruffly. "I-I think I need to tell you something."

"Remember to make it sincere!" A hushed whisper emitted from behind one of the pine trees that were located near Stoick's home. Hiccup couldn't believe it. Never, in his whole life had he more affronted than at that moment.

"Fishlegs!" He spluttered, stunned that the larger Viking had made an appearance as well. "_Y-You're_ here?! What do you think you're doing? What, is _Gobber_ gonna show up too?" A sharp cough from behind a bush confirmed his sarcastic remark. Hiccup shut his emerald eyes as his grip tightened on the windowsill. "Go home, Gobber," he intoned in a no-nonsense way.

"Right then!" The man briskly replied. He stepped out from behind said bush and hurried into the night, leaving behind a shocked trio.

"Guys, you can't be here right now," Hiccup sharply reprimanded the two boys, rubbing the space between his eyes. "Honestly, I thought you were better than the _twins_-"

"That's not why I'm here!" Snotlout assured the boy in an almost pleading tone. "Please, just, here me out!" He took a glance at the pine tree that Hiccup could only guess that Fishlegs was stationed. "I need to tell you," he twiddled his fingers together, "something a little personal."

Hiccup sighed and rested his head in his hand. "Will it jeopardize me and Astrid?" He was technically being sarcastic, so it appalled him when Snotlout replied with an uncharacteristically meek, "Sorta."

Hiccup's jaw went slack before he regained a dangerous expression. "Go."

"Wha-? B-But-"

"SNOTLOUT, GO!"

"What's your issue?"

"You want me to unground you?! Not like this, I won't!"

Snotlout looked as if he was going to argue further, but he sucked a deep intake of breath and gave up. He at a bad time and he was already the cause of their distress. Why make it worse than it already was? "Fine!" He complied wit a growl, and he stalked into the night, Fishlegs hurriedly waddling after him. "Wait Snotlout! Whatever it is, you have to tell him!" Their voices dimmed in volume as they increased the distance between them and Hiccup's home.

The auburn-haired boy could only face-palm in annoyance as he silently wondered why he was a friend with them in the first place. With that done and dealt with, he turned around to face Astrid, who looked just as dazed as he was.

"I would ask what just happened," she said slowly, "but I'm too tired to hunt down anyone tonight."

"Yeah, that might be for the best," Hiccup smiled sheepishly.

Wanting to change the subject to a cheerier note, Astrid revealed brightly, "I gotta admit; I'm pretty excited about tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" For a second, he had no idea what she was talking about, but then it dawned on him. "Oh! You mean the morning-gift, right?" He asked, a smile spreading over his once-defeated face. He made his way over to the bed and once again lay down beside her. "I hope you like it. I worked really hard on it, and trust me, forging silllllveeeer..." He trailed off and covered his mouth, knowing he had revealed too much. "Erm, I still have blisters!" He held up his hands, which had adorned painful-looking welts.

Astrid smiled. "Whoa. You forged my gift? Of course," the girl snickered, scooting further under the covers and lying down next to him. "That's so like you. Hiccup: always bringing something new and destructible into existence. You aren't giving me a catapult, are you? Hm? It is a weapon, right? A new axe? Hatchet?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Can't tell you till tomorrow," he firmly reminded her, causing the girl to groan.

"Kill joy," she muttered indignantly, lightly slugging his shoulder. "C'mon, Hiccup. At least give me a hint." The boy snorted and then did something unexpected: he rested his forehead against hers.

"And why I should do that?" He asked in derision.

"Because I hate surprises," Astrid complained with a pout.

"What a shame!" Hiccup said in faux sympathy and patted her on the head, causing her to lightly flick his nose. "Ow! Hey! Does it always have to be violence with you?" The question made her thoughtful.

Astrid grinned slyly and rested a hand on his waist, her cheeks darkening to a bright burgundy. "Well..." She purposely dragged, squeezing the area, "Not necessarily."

Hiccup couldn't breathe at her touch. He lay hypnotized by her lovely, sapphire irises that bored so deeply into his emeralds. "Prove it," he challenged, and bit his lip, worried that he sounded too pushy at that last command.

"Prove it?" Astrid corroborated, and raised her platinum eyebrows, her smirk widening a little in amusement. "Wow. Someone's sure being bossy tonight. Bossy _and_ aggressive."

Hiccup flinched. If even Astrid had thought so, perhaps he had overreacted to his friends' appearances. "Sorry," he quickly apologized, submissively shrinking a bit in her arms and averting his gaze. "You...You don't have anything to prove to me."

Astrid gazed thoughtfully at him for a moment, and then said with a bit of flourish, "Well then Hiccup, consider this my evening-gift." And before he could either question or protest, she smashed her lips against his, causing their faces to darken for the millionth time that day. Her right hand rested on his side, her left caressing his cheek. His hands fumbled a bit at her collar area, finally coming to a rest at her shoulders.

This was exhilarating. Since they were lying so contiguously in proximity, the soft thuds of their hearts pounding in their chests was audible to one another.

Halfway through the kiss, the girl opened her eyes to a half-lidded state to find that he looked dazed, even with his eyes shut tight. She smirked into the kiss and gently pulled away, creating a soft "pop" in the process. Hiccup panted, heart thumping against his ribcage like crazy. Still overwhelmed by her actions, he mushed his face into her collarbone to try and calm his sporadic nerves. She chuckled and ran her callused fingers through his soft, auburn locks while he shuddered.

"You taste like mutton," she cracked in order to lighten the mood, snorting in laughter as a look of horror overtook his face.

"Oh yeah? Wow, I have to say, I-I'm thoroughly offended. Well YOU taste like..." He scrunched his face up, trying to come up with a solid retaliation, but it fell rather flat. "...nothing." Astrid huffed at his unusually weak comeback and placed a hand on the back of his head, shoving his face back into the crook of her neck.

"Whatever," she dismissed. "Just go to sleep, you goof."

Secretly, she had tasted like the innards of the sacrificial animals that were put in the wine, but he wasn't about to tell her that. Hiccup sighed into her hair, which had been re-braided for the occasion, and marveled at the softness. Astrid sensed this and casually asked, "Enjoying yourself?" Hiccup groaned.

"Go to sleep!" He pleaded, removing his face from her collarbone to look her in the eye. "Goodnight!" And he buried himself under the covers once more. "The sooner we go to sleep, the sooner I can give you your morning-gift, remember?"

"Okay," Astrid yawned. She blinked. Man, she was more exhausted than she thought. Moving her sluggish body to rest against her partner's, the girl finally dozed off, just as ol' Jakul Frosti released a new consignment of ice-crystals.

...

"Snotlout, WAIT!" Fishlegs desperately cried as he hobbled after the infuriated boy, who stomped through Berk's woods. He was especially angry after Hiccup's rejection, and while he had been so close, so close to admitting what he had done, all that had been wiped from his mind, and now he had no eagerness to redeem himself.

"Get out of here, Guppylegs!" Snotlout snarled, stomping at a much quicker pace as the hefty boys began to decrease the distance between themselves. "It's hopeless, don't you see? How you got me to even _try_ to confess, I'll never know, but I'm not trying again. Got it?" Fishlegs pressed forward and ignored the slightly shorter boy, crashing through brambles, hopping over logs, and nearly tripping himself over large tree roots.

"If only you just told him-" Fishlegs pleaded at the other male, "-I don't know what you got yourself into, but it isn't healthy to bottle up your feelings and censor you thoughts."

Snotlout bristled and whipped around so abruptly that Fishlegs actually froze. "Since when have you cared what I think?" He yelled, his voice echoing through the sleepy forest. "Who cares if I censor my thoughts, huh? It's the Viking way! A true Viking doesn't need to talk about his feelings!"

Fishlegs bit his lip and slowly approached. "I do care!" He insisted with a cry. "Why do you think I've been following you for the last few days?" Snotlout growled. He did have a point. "It's because I don't want you and Hiccup to fight anymore. And in case you haven't noticed, the Viking way has changed for the better."

"So what?"

"It's okay let out you're feelings, Snotlout," Fishlegs said quietly. "It really is acceptable."

They were silent, and Fishlegs took Snotlout's quietness as a chance to approach even further, until they were several yards apart. "If...If you can't tell Hiccup, you could tell me, right?"

Snotlout scoffed and crossed his arms. "Yeah, fat chance. You couldn't keep a secret to save your own life." Fishlegs was going to contradict his statement, but stopped. What could he say in defense to his sensitive privy? He was well aware that he couldn't hold up in questioning, even revolving around petty matters. He was sort of weak in that aspect. "This isn't a game, Fishlegs. This…This is something that could get me in deep, deep dung. And I… I don't trust you."

"Y-Yeah, but..." He trailed off his sentence, for once unsure how to handle the situation, and hung his head in submissive defeat.

"Just leave me alone," Snotlout mumbled, turning on his heels. Fishlegs considered going after him once more, but as the burly boy disappeared into the thicket, he decided that maybe some alone time was what Snotlout needed.

...

The next day...

Bright, twinkling ice crystals clung to the wooden walls of every fortress in Berk, the dark, overcast sky overhead signifying the substantial winter to come. The sharp, cold air bit at the burly skin of any earlier riser, causing them to bundle up more warmly than before, while a thin sheet of frost coated the once grassy-green ground. In fact, it was this cold weather that awoke Astrid Haddock from her unusually comfortable slumber.

She shifted a bit, feeling her appendages shiver in protest to the cold, and with a slight groan, she buried her face deeper into the seams of a certain someone's fuzzy tunic.

"_Man_..." She thought incoherently, "_Can't sleep in...gotta get up and feed Stormfly...gotta get up_..." After inactively raising a hand to wipe the semifluid matter out of her eyes, she blinked them open and found herself mushed into the bony yet warm chest of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III.

She blinked. Blinked again. And then blinked yet again, trying to process the unclear reasoning of her position through a foggy mind. His lanky arms were wrapped securely around her waist, his chin resting against the top of her head. Her body was pressed to the wall.

It was an odd awakening to be held in the arms of a male, and not fully remembering the day's previous, she panicked.

To her defense, she was still not fully cognizant, which was why she slugged him without a moment's hesitation. Her violent jab to the chest jarred Hiccup awake, and he yelped, sitting up in a frenzy. "Wha-? What happened? What?!" He noticed Astrid, who was just now beginning to realize her mistake.

"Oh, oh. Sorry," she apologized sheepishly, putting her hands behind her back in embarrassment. "I guess I'm just not used to waking up in the same bed as you. You know...? Not used to the snuggling."

Hiccup sucked in a breath and tenderly rubbed his aching shoulder. There was sure to form a bruise later on. "Oh, I know alright. But please, don't tell me I'm gonna wake up like this every morning."

The golden-haired girl held up her right hand in a solemn oath. "That will be the last time I punch you in the morning. Really."

Hiccup swung his thin legs over the bed and stretched out his arms, emitting a soft crack in the process. "That sounds a liiiittle too good to be true," he joked inadequately, and Astrid glared at him, offended. She could stop hitting him if she wanted to. She could! ...Too bad she never wanted to.

"Well on that rude awakening, do you want to get some breakfast?" Hiccup asked casually, attaching his prosthetic foot to his leg. "I hear they're giving out smaller helpings since they're trying to save up the stock for Devastating Winter. Trying, at least." After a year without enough supplies, Gothi advised the Viking community not to stuff themselves silly at every meal and have smaller helpings in order to save more for another time. Then they wouldn't have any problems revolving around starvation.

Astrid shrugged her approval. "Sure. Beats sitting around and being lazy." With a slight heave, Astrid lifted her sore legs over the side of the wooden bed. The slight ache in said legs caused her to wince, and she realized that this would be more of a struggle than she had expected.

To distract the boy from her minor disability, she put on a little improve, "My family always and only ate the pork for breakfast, can you believe it? They never ate the corn, or the greens. They've actually never had the fruit. Mom called it "wussy" food." As the girl rambled on, she was troubled to find out right then and there that it took a bit more strain than usual to do such a simple thing as getting out of bed. And it was embarrassing when Hiccup witnessed her in such a state. "I mean, I had fruit from time to time. My dad would usually sneak it over to me when my mom wasn't looking. One time she caught him, and it didn't end very well."

"You need help there, Astrid?" Hiccup asked kindly.

The girl huffed, blowing her platinum-blonde bangs out of her eye, her hands gripping the base of the bed. Her improve, if nothing, had provided no distraction whatsoever. "I got it," she insisted, shakily standing up to prove her point. "See? Nothing I can't handle." Hiccup stared at her in doubt.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked in concern. Astrid looked away uncomfortably as he peered at her face. "You look a little pale," he observed. Oh great, the morning sickness.

As Hiccup reached out a hand to comfort her, she slapped it away and snapped, "I'm fine!" Oh great, the mood swings. "I just..." She paused and covered her mouth, slightly hunching over while her arm held her stomach. "I..." She croaked, "I'm gonna throw up."

After a lovely, and that was a use of sarcasm, disposal of whatever bile was dwelling in Astrid's gut out the window, Hiccup rushed to her side while she continued to retch. "Oh! Oh Gods, I forgot about the morning sickness," he cried, soothingly rubbing her back. It was moments like these when he felt absolutely helpless. "A-Anything I can get for you, like some water or...or-?

"I'm *cough* fine," Astrid insisted, almost annoyed whilst she heaved. She felt light-headed, the cold winter air giving no mercy as it bit at her paled skin. "You *heave* need to chill out," she advised, shying away from his touch. "It's...it's all part of the process... Okay?" She gave one last cough and rose from her hunched state, inhaling deep and steady breaths.

"Are you sure?"

The girl put on her best smile, which turned out more like a grimace as pain continued to wrack her body. "For sure. Like I said before, chill. Just relax and be cool."

"Well that's gonna be easy," Hiccup shivered, retrieving his chestnut fur vest from the floor. "Because it's FREEZING! Odin..." He muttered, tugging on the article of clothing. "Heh. Look at that. I can see my breath."

Astrid noted the abundance of icicles that formed from the top of his windowsill and shuddered. "Icicles usually don't form this early into the winter," she pointed out in confusion. "Hm. Something tells me that Devastating Winter's sure going to be a conundrum."

Yet another look of worry overtook Hiccup's freckled face, and Astrid briskly announced, "Okay! Let's go to the Great Hall already. I don't know about you but I'm starving!"

"Alright then. Oh, but before we go..." Hiccup interjected, rushing over to his wooden desk in search of something.

Astrid curiously approached and casually peered over his shoulder, watching him retrieve something that looked like...well...a box. A tiny wooden box, no bigger than her open palm. The beam on Hiccup's face indicated that whatever he was holding was something that he took great pride in, so Astrid tried her best to look impressed.

"I...I made you this," he revealed shyly, giving her the box with the utmost gentleness.

Astrid took it and raised an eyebrow at her partner. "Um, thanks. I guess."

"Open it," he encouraged, gesturing towards the object.

The other Viking gave him a strange look before undoing the tiny clasp on the box and gently opened it. Hiccup tensed, waiting nervously for her reaction.

"Oh...wow..." Astrid breathed, carefully retrieving the piece of jewelry with her fingertips.

Hiccup smiled a half smile, still unsure of her inner critique toward the gift. "Do...Do you like it?" He asked hopefully.

Astrid could tell he was nervous. "Well, considering I can't take my eyes off of it..." She hinted with a smirk when the tension in his posture relaxed. "It's so pretty," she marveled, running her fingers along the smooth radius of the bracelet. "You made this all by yourself?"

"Y-Yeah," Hiccup replied, blushing bashfully. He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's silver, actually," he informed her.

"You're kidding," Astrid laughed in disbelief. "Where'd you get the silver?"

Hiccup shrugged and smiled. "Oh, I had some old coins lying around," he answered. "It was nothing really."

"Nothing?" Astrid gaped at him in annoyance and rolled her eyes at his modesty. "You are way too humble, Hiccup. This thing is amazing!" She was truly impressed with his craft. She knew that he had been the one behind some of the weapons that the Berkians used in battle, and Toothless's tail, but she never knew that he had quite a detailed, glamorous skill in blacksmithing. "Oh look! Look, you even wrote something on it."

"Yeah..." Hiccup's blush darkened to a deep cherry-red.

_"Well considered, the woman's worth the whole of Iceland..._

_Heavy though my heart...of Hunland, and of Denmark;_

_Not for all of England's earth and kingdoms would I_

_Forego the golden-braided girl, ay, nor for Ireland," _Astrid read aloud, the obvious lean towards romance in the poem triggering her to blush. "I didn't know you wrote poetry," she chuckled, sliding the silver bracelet over her wrist. It even fit well!

"Oh, that. That uh, isn't _exactly_ my writing but I know it's what my dad used to say to my mom. So I figured that...that I'd include that in the design, ah, process. I thought it'd fit, you know," Hiccup fumbled over his words, only to be silenced by Astrid's lips pressing against his freckled cheek.

She pulled away, amused that he was flustered even more so by her out-of-nowhere actions. "Do you mean it?" She asked, her mood quieter. The world revolving around the two young Vikings seemed to hush as the usual rowdy girl was quieted into something almost solemn.

Hiccup blinked, his heart thudding against his ribcage. "What, what do you mean?" he whispered, even though he what she meant.

Astrid flourished her wrist in answer. "I meant," she explained impatiently, "is what you wrote true? Is this how you feel about me? For like, for real?"

Hiccup bit his lip, emerald eyes widening, "Well, I-I..."

Before he could come up with a clever remark, the blonde snapped her fingers and sneered. "You hesitated."

"Wha-? Oh, w-well, I-I," he stuttered, fumbling with his fingers. "Of course I mean it. I wouldn't have written it if I didn't mean it, right?"

"Do you love me?"

Hiccup blinked, his mouth suddenly going dry. "That was...unexpected," he said lamely. "What's up with all your bolts from the blue?"

"Do you?" She asked, unfazed.

"D-Do _you_?" He retaliated helplessly. "You know that's uh, really big question."

"I don't."

He paused, her answer stunning him. "Oh...you don't?" He replied faintly. "Really?"

"I don't," Astrid nodded, her skeptical look returning, "You know I care about you, right Hiccup?"

"Yes," the boy answered, a mighty bit dazed.

The blonde girl clasped her hands together, gazing at him right in the eye and took on a serious tone. "Consider this a bit of a confession, and don't be offended. I like you Hiccup, a lot. But if I had to be perfectly honest, I think it might take some time before I say the three big words, you know?"

Hiccup nodded vigorously, looking almost relieved. "Oh, I know! I mean that's, fine if you don't _love_ me yet. It's-It's a process, and we obviously have to get to know each other better, of course. Nothing wrong with that." The male was internally relishing in relief, although-cripes-he was rambling again. Thank Thor he wasn't the only one between them that felt that way. They may have been married, but they were nonetheless young and pathetically inexperienced. It would take time, perhaps ages before they truly felt that way towards one another. Before they could say the _L_ word in a sincere way.

"Exactly," Astrid firmly agreed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, my parents were in the same boat. Took a while for my dad to finally fall for my mom. And believe me when I say it took a _while,_ because he was scared to death of her." Astrid wrinkled her nose. "He still is, really."

Hiccup chuckled awkwardly. No wonder that man was so fidgety all the time, what with his vitriol wife always around. "She...she's intimidating, I'll give you that," he offered truthfully.

"Oh that reminds me," Astrid remembered suddenly, snapping her fingers in realization once more. "I wanted to apologize to you for my mother's behavior. Odin, it was _so_ embarrassing when she kept staring at you with this-this-!"

"-Disappointed scowl?" Hiccup offered tremulously. "If it makes you feel better; Helga wasn't the first."

Astrid frowned, staring off at the wooden floor of his, er, _their_ room. She was evidently embarrassed of her mother's particular distaste for her partner and looked as if she wanted to reprimand the woman herself. "I think…I think she still needs to get to know you better," the girl advocated. "She'll grow onto you, I guarantee."

"I sure hope so," Hiccup smiled gently. "I wouldn't want my mother-in-law to hate me for the rest of my life." He spoke in a wry sort of way, but Astrid chewed her lip and nodded sullenly, the situation less than humorous to her.

"You're right," she sighed, but then perked as an idea came to mind. "You know, they'll be at the Great Hall for breakfast. Well, they always are, but you know what I mean. Maybe we should join them and have a little chat. Get to know each other better! I doubt you've spoken to my father before, have you?"

Hiccup clamped his jaw shut, which had gone agape as soon as she had suggested such an idea. "Oh! That...that sounds great! We-We should... totally do that!" He exclaimed trying to sound enthusiastic at the proposal, but failing to do so, miserably.

If Astrid had caught onto his acting, she didn't show it. "Good. Let's go!" She ordered with an authoritative air, and marched briskly toward the stairs, admiring her morning-gift. Hiccup trailed faintly behind, excessively tensed at the notion of what was to come.

...

**Author's Note: Well Fanrats, apparently it's spring break now and I'm not enjoying it as I should be. I gave up Bagel Me for Lent (I'm Catholic) and I believe it's turning me into an evil person. I've gone so many weeks without those giant, crispy...fried potatoes... Must...get...French fries...must...NO! I HAVE TO RESIST. It's for _Jesus_ for cripe's sake. If he died nailed to the cross, than I can give up French-fries...for FORTY STINKING DAYS!**

**Alrighty, so since I'm in a terribly bad mood, I'm going to say this once and I'm only going to say it...once. T.T I wrote over thirty freaking pages. Thirty. I had BETTER get some reviews, and I had BETTER get some favorites and follows. **

**Hey... If I end up getting more favorites and followers, then I will definitely update quicker. You unsubscribed people want an update? You better favorite and follow! MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! **

**Seriously though, if you don't have an account, I suppose you can just write a review, because I love those with all my heart. It's so motivating and so inspiring to hear what you have to say about my writing. And I love critiques, so don't be afraid to write those too. I'm strong. I can take criticism, but I won't take a flame. I'll douse 'em with Frosty Freezy Freeze before they ever...get...written. ...Wow. That fell flat.**

**PS: We're going to play a new game called "spot the reference". If you spot the reference then I'll check out your stories and leave some reviews. The Jack Frost one is obvious. Any more you can spot? XD**


	7. Mishap by Converse

**Author's Note: Hey, hey, hey! I'm Eeeeemma Harness! (Okay, if you don't get that reference, you live in a cave) And no, I never technically saw the show, but I know that stupid, stupid catchphrase.**

**By the by, I apologize sincerely for not updating sooner, but for some reason my computer at home will not let me submit docs to my docs folder on Fanfiction. Therefore, I had to postpone my update for about a week until I could get back to school after Easter break. I use the computers during Graphic Design class, so they should work just fine. **

**Commence ze responses:**

**SqueegeeSlayer9001: I don't believe words can describe how elated I am to read your reviews. You...actually...recognized...the ALPHA AND OMEGA REFERENCE?! Holy cow, I never expected somebody to get it! But you did! Congratulations, good Fanrat. Cun-gra-jew-lay-SHUN! It's especially awesome to hear that I'm an inspiration to you, because hey, your reviews are inspiring me! It's a win-win! As promised, I'll check out your stories, 'cause you're so sweet! ^^**

**Hi: Well, hello there! Here's your update! **

**PrincessOfAtlantis101: Thank you! It warms my heart to hear that!**

**travellerofadifferentpath: I know, right? The sheer embarrassment and humiliation of said ordeal must be astounding! Thank the Lord they don't have consummations in AMERICA! (At least, none that are public)... I certainly won't be doing that any time soon. Well, at least not until I'm married. **

**MHJohn64th: Yeah, Astrid and Hiccup eventually went through with it. I doubt Stoick and Helga would let those kids get away with any more than they already have. Oh, and FINALLY, someone's main concern is the child! 'Bout time, folks... And speaking of Helga, there's a lot of her in this chapter, so be very afraid. And Snotlout, man. That kid's got a real issue and now that Hiccup's rejected him, he'll become even more aloof than ever. Ps: You read the ENTIRE Bible during Holy Week? Well, dang! Kudos to you, dude! That's something I need to do more often!**

**Httydisbae: I'm actually writing the chapters one at a time, as I go along. I have the hindsight as to what the climax is, but yah. *chuckles nervously* Yeah, I'm typing them as I go along.**

**Haley: you're going to die without this story. Uh, hey! NO PRESSURE EMMA! O.O**

**Guest One: I'm counting up the votes and I believe that that's the way it's going to be. Be very afraid.**

**Guest Two: No, Gobber isn't exactly the spying type, but hey, if it gives people a laugh, then I'm all for it.**

**Guest Three: Hey, these thing take TIME, dude, TIME! Especially if you're typing with your dead thumbs at a track meet.**

**HugsandBugsSmileyFace: I most certainly did find the inspiration I was looking for. And yes, my parents would freak. Though, to be fair, this isn't the weirdest story I've ever written. (Don't read "Insane Glint) And you're coming to 'merica? Huzzah! Have an awesome time! Ps: I feel so honored to be in comparison to an adult writer when in reality, I just turned sixteen!**

**Guest Four: Three words for YOU: Thankyou so much! **

***Checks wording* ...I know. **

**FluentFletcher2: Well, if I've converted you into a Hiccstrid fan, then I've done my job. Peace out, and thank you for the corrections!**

**SharKohen: Yeah, Snotlout's mistake is costing him dearly. :( Hopefully, he'll do the right thing at one point or another.**

**Guest Five: Don't get your hopes up. I have a habit of having a dark side to my stories.**

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: Thank you so much, Comedy! I'll be sure to update? Soon? Meh.**

**G: Thanks dude!**

**Noname: HUZZAH! YOU'VE SPOTTED THE REFERENCE! **

**PuppeteerOllie: Why thank you! Me too. I love bonding.**

**AfricaWebb13: Whelp, here you go! Hope you enjoy. :D**

**Checkingdude: Aw bro, that must have been insanely difficult. Stay strong Fanrat: For JESUS!**

**Guest Six: You're right. It would have made a fantastic cliffhanger, but I'm not that cruel to my readers... Or am I? MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**The death bringer779: Yeah, me neither. XD**

**Chancey74: Haha! Oh dude, you made my day with that one!**

**Tigerlily the Wild: It's not, but I'll let it slide.**

**Hopelessromantic4life: Got any dating advice for Hiccup and Astrid? I'll put it to good use. *smirk***

**AND SPEAKING OF WHICH!**

**I've counted up the votes, and well...you guys won. :) Stormless it is.**

**_Chapter Seven: Mishap by Converse_**

After a rather...incidental night, Hiccup was determined to prepare himself for any surprise that would dare make itself known. However, the last thing that the young Viking expected to see when he first made his way down the wooden stairs was his father, facedown on the frosted floorboards, snoring. His clothes were disheveled, his beard unbraided and unmanageable. Quite a sight to say the least.

Astrid raised her platinum eyebrows at the peculiar sight and sent a questioning glance to her partner, who shrugged innocently. "Dah-I...have no idea either," he said sheepishly, admittedly not used to finding his father in a limp, drowsy heap. It was quite a sight, and his cheeks flushed warmly. "Trust me, this is not a natural occurrence."

"Do I even want to know?" The girl asked in incredulity and stepped over to the unconscious vast man's side with a scoff, lightly tapping him with her boot. His helmet was descending over his eyes, mouth open with a bit of drool trickling out. "Um, I'm smelling ale." She tapped him again, using a bit more vigor. He didn't stir. Instead, a long, drawn-out snore escaped him, causing the two to cringe in disgust. It was incredibly strange for Astrid, who was so used to picturing her chief in a more...eloquent image.

Hiccup rolled his emerald eyes and laid a hand on her armored shoulder. "Leave him," he advised, more for his father's sake than his. "He probably wanted to drown out the noise from last night." Astrid blushed at the notion. "Remember when he yelled at us? I have a feeling we're going to have a discussion about that with him."

Astrid sighed and made her way for the door, taking a glance over her shoulder one last time. "Can't say I blame him," she admitted informally and opened the door, which endorsed a blast of cold wind to chill her entire body in a matter of seconds.

"S-Sweet Freya!" She gasped, surveying the landscape before her wide, azure eyes. Her warm breath had effectively evaporated in the freezing air. "T-There h-had to be a storm last night." She affirmed nervously, her mind trying to wrap around the ferocity of the upcoming Devastating Winter. She examined the nearly frozen over landscape, overcome with a blanket of snow. "Because the snow is literally up to my knees."

"Really?" Hiccup's mind flashed back to last night, the first one he had spent curled up in his partner's arms. Funny enough, he had no recollection of a storm. "Oh, perfect. My leg'll probably freeze off." He approached her side and shivered, wrapping his lanky arms around his waist. "Y-Yeah, I'm getting m-my helmet for this," he chattered, darting back inside to retrieve the headpiece. Once he returned, the breast-plated helmet safely placed upon his head, he nodded. "Okay, l-let's do this."

As Hiccup and Astrid made their way to the Great Hall in the midst of winter, the fourteen-year-old Viking wondered to himself if he should've made a run for it, and if Astrid were to notice.

Sure, it would be impolite to do so, since Astrid averred that they should go. But, it _would_ be quite the feat, since he was literally knee-deep in the fresh snow that had fallen during the night. But what else could he do? Actually pluck up the courage and have a little chat with her mother? The father, he did not mind, but Helga? Talking to her was like having a conversation with an incoherent Mildew: impossible and slightly, no, incredibly horrendous.

But even the thoughts of Helga were instantly squandered by the sheer amount of coldness that the couple was forced to endure.

Every step through the snow was a tremendous effort, and Hiccup began to worry for his partner, who was already struggling. If it were hard enough for him, whilst he literally had to yank his boot, and now frozen prosthetic foot out of the snow with each step, how was she holding up? And with a pregnant stomach no less?

"W-Wonderful weather we're having, h-huh?" Hiccup remarked sarcastically through his chattering teeth as the snow began to absorb into the fibers of his single boot. "I kinda regret leaving behind dad's ceremonial cape." He admitted with a combined grunt and shiver as he continued his trek. "S-Sure, it may have weighed over s-seven S-Snotlouts and several yaks, but it kept me w-warm."

"S-Sure," Astrid shivered offhandedly, wrapping her arms around her waist as best she could. "A-At least you have a fur vest and n-not to mention: long sleeves," she pointed out. "All I've got is this stupid-wait, huh?" Hiccup had approached her from behind and draped his fuzzy vest over her shoulders, shielding them from the biting air.

Though flattered, she gave him a questioning look. "What?" The auburn-haired boy asked with a shy smile, "Least I-I could do is keep you toasty, r-right?" Astrid laughed and slugged his already bruised shoulder.

"T-Thanks, Dragon boy," she teased as he tenderly rubbed his scrawny shoulder. Speaking of dragons... "You know, I j-just realized that Toothless c-coulda flown us to the Great Hall."

Hiccup froze (pun very much intended) and looked back to the house, where Toothless was oddly absent. "Huh... Well, that would be nice, if he were present." He shook his head, wondering where his reptilian friend had gone off. The abundance of snow worried him just a bit, but he assumed that Toothless had huddled with the other dragons. He shrugged it off and returned his attention back to his aching shoulder.

"I'm going to have a permanent bruise there," Hiccup complained, annoyance overshadowing his recent emotion. "Seriously, it showed uhhh-AAAH!" As he took another step, his prosthetic foot caught on a buried root or twig and he went sprawling face-first into the snow, earning a real guffaw from his partner.

Upon hearing her laughter, the boy huffed; feeling the cold seep into his veins and stole whatever dignity he had left. "Noph. Phonny." Came Hiccup's annoyed, snow-muffled reply.

"Heh, heh! Okay, okay, sorry." Astrid apologized as Hiccup made a futile little twitch, which she assumed was his attempt to lift himself up. She rolled her azure eyes through her laughing fit and yanked him up by the tunic with a single arm. When he sprung back up, his whole front side was coated in a fresh white powder, making him resemble a human snow creature. It was a comical look, and Astrid burst out laughing once more, nearly doubling over.

Hiccup shook his head, flinging ice crystals in all directions, flakes hitting her in the process. "Well, it's good to know that people still laugh at my expense," he quipped smoothly as he brushed the snow out of his face, though Astrid could hear the amusement in his voice.

With a sigh, he bent down to retrieve his helmet, but forgot to shake the snow out before he placed it on his head once more. He shrieked at the sudden realization as the snowflakes fell around his head like a halo, earning yet another laugh from Astrid.

Though annoyed, and now freezing beyond belief, he asked sarcastically, "W-What do y-you think?" He spread out his arms and made a full 180° turn. "Is-Is it enough to imp-press y-your parents?"

Astrid played along and rubbed her chin, pretending to be thoughtfully skeptical. "W-Who knows? My parents m-might be fans of the whole..."s-snow-demolished" look." She smiled pityingly as her partner began to shiver and heaved forward, brushing the snow off of his appendages while he brushed the stuff off of his trousers and tunic. "Here, ya got some right..." She smirked and flicked the last bit of powder off his nose, causing him to blush heatedly. "Man, I think your sarcasm is starting to rub off on me!" She realized with mock horror, tightly hugging his furry vest to her body.

A gust of wind shrouded the two, drawing them out of their warm subconscious. "W-W-Well, without the least b-bit of sarcasm," Hiccup shivered as he brushed away the last of the snow off of his tunic, "I'm freezing. Shall we go?"

"Agr-Agreed," Astrid chattered as they once again continued their journey.

As if trekking through the winter barrage of snow was difficult enough, ascending the icy steps to get to the Great Hall was a downright hardship. With Hiccup's nearly frozen prosthetic foot, it was nearly impossible for him to track friction, which caused him to dangerously slip on numerous occasions. But with a lot of time and effort, the couple finally entered the Great Hall, red-faced, panting, and shivering.

To them, it was quite a feat, and Astrid pumped her raw, red fists in the air. "YES!" She cried out weakly, gaining the attention of several other Vikings before bending over to catch her breath.

"Astrid?" Called the soft-spoken voice of a familiar face. It was Egil, her father. "There ye ah! Come, come lass! Out of th' cold!"

The girl's head snapped up and she caught sight of her parents, who were sitting at a table near the fire. They had not yet gotten their food, since the mead-workers were busy rationing.

"Oh, h-hi Dad! Hey Mom!" Astrid sought them out in the small crowd and greeted them with a casual wave, while Hiccup gave a weak gesture of acquaintance. "C-C'mon, Hiccup. Let's go warm up before I go numb," she shivered, brushing some of the slush off of her armored skirt.

"Dah...D-Don't worry, I'm-I'm coming," the boy laughed weakly, noticing that as soon as Helga spotted him trailing behind Astrid, her smile dropped from her face. He tried to dismiss the facial action of rejection and tried to warm his frozen digits, which had gone numb at that point.

Soon, the two (and one former) Hoffersons were seated at the wooden table near the glowing fire, the heat thawing out the littler bodies. And though everyone about them was all hustle and bustle, the united family members were incongruously discreet. How did one pick up from a night as awkward as the one before?

Hiccup bit his bottom lip as he stood stiffly and gently traced the wood patterns of the table, doing his best to avert his gaze from Helga's.

"How are ye, lass?" Egil asked with a warm smile, covering Astrid's thawing hands with one of his own. "Holdin' up alright?"

Astrid smirked. "In this weather? Pfft. Well enough. Just give me a week and I'll turn into a snow dragon in no time."

"So what brings ye here?"

Astrid smiled and let out a long exhale before she finally said, "Hiccup and I were-were talking, and we realized that he's never had a true word with either of you before, and I just wanted to check u-Hiccup?"

It had taken a good while before she realized that her partner was still standing, obviously making a last second attempt to escape the situation. Her eyes narrowed and she sighed sharply.

"Can ya _sit down_?" She asked through gritted teeth in slight exasperation. If she was going to suffer, so was he! Hiccup conformed and sat with obvious caution. He then removed his helmet in respect and placed it in his lap. Egil delivered the young boy a smile of empathy.

"Anyway," Astrid continued, turning back to her parents as if nothing had transpired. "I was talking to Hiccup last night, and it came about that he never actually met you guys before." She paused and checked her wording. "I mean, at least he's never talked to you personally." Hiccup gulped, thinking of the many reasons why that was so.

The girl's father perked at the notion. "A-Ah believe yer right!" He established softly, smiling fondly at the younger Viking, who gave a small, grateful one in return. "Pleased t' FORMALLY meet ye, Hiccup Haddock, heir and pride of Berk." Hiccup blushed in gratification.

At that point, he should have been used to constant praise and titles he'd been addressed with, but he was bashful nonetheless, especially if it was coming from his father-in-law.

"Ah, thank you," the auburn-haired boy politely replied. "It's-It's a pleasure to meet you too, Sir Hofferson." He began to relax a little. Egil was harmless, nothing to be feared of. The man was soft-spoken; oddly foil to his mountain of a body that one would assume would house a deafening bellow.

Egil waved his large hand flippantly and chuckled. "Oh, there won't be any of thes "Sir Hofferson" formality," he assured the boy with a kind smile. "Ye may call me by me first name: Egil. Eeg, for short."

Eeg? EEG?! It was difficult to tell, but Hiccup was sure that Helga made a noise that sounded extremely like a snort. "Oh... Okay," he nodded with uncertainty, cursing himself for making the situation awkward. "Sure, I can work with...Egil. Sir."

And then out of nowhere, Helga, who hadn't spoken a word since her daughter and her husband arrived, bombarded Hiccup with the following question, "Ye taking care of mah daughter?"

Hiccup arose from his bowed stance and made an attempt to appear self-assured. "Y-Yes ma'am," he stuttered, his nasally voice embarrassingly going a few octaves higher, due to his anxiety. "Sh-She's in good hands."

Astrid lowered her head so her smirk could be hidden. "See, Mom?" she assured the woman. Poor Hiccup. He sounded so flustered and frazzled around her dominating senior. "Trust me, you've got nothing to worry about. Besides," she grinned, making a fist, "I can always take care of myself."

Egil chuckled good-naturedly and smiled kindly at Hiccup. "Ye picked a mighty good lass, son. Strong-headed and sure, she is. 'Course, the women of our clan has never needed much protection." He made a sideways glance to his wife, who was currently picking at her teeth with a carving knife, and winced.

It was Astrid who first noticed the empty tabletop and shakily arose with a brisk announcement, "I'll get the pork!" She gave her father a nod of excuse and started for the line at the back.

But before she could even take two steps away from the table, Hiccup grabbed her wrist out of panic. Helga watched stiffly, knowing full well that she was the cause of his anxiety.

"Are-Are you sure you...? Would you like me to do it for you?" Hiccup suggested quickly and took another glance at Helga. She pursed her lips and bent her metal fork with a single thumb. Hiccup gulped audibly. "O-Or perhaps I could come with you and help?"

The girl snorted, under the impression that he was insulting her independence, and withdrew her hand. "Thanks, but I've got it under control. Don't forget, I'm a warrior."

Astrid would never admit to Hiccup for the time being, but she found almost annoying how people would offer to wait on her. She took it the wrong way assuming that they thought she was weak and she couldn't handle herself. It was a stomp on her mark of a warrior.

Almost as if on cue, Egil stood. "Warrior or not, a helping hand is always welcomed. Ah'll help ye carry the plates back," he insisted. "Helga and Hiccup can spend some quality time together whilst we do so."

Astrid took one look at her thundercloud of a mother and the trembling mess that was her husband, and began to object. "Oh. But, maybe you could stay with-?"

"Et's no trouble, lass," Helga dismissed firmly. "Ye go on now and fetch us some breakfast." She moved her gaze to the shaking emerald eyes before her and lowered her voice to an almost sinister tone. "He and ah shall chat."

Astrid gazed into the pleading eyes of her partner and let a small sigh escape, forcing a smile onto her face. "She's...She's right. You guys should chat. I'll get you guys some fruit too. Berries. Heh. Special treat." And with that said and done, she and Egil left Helga and Hiccup alone.

Expecting there to be a long, awkward silence of hateful stares, Hiccup nearly jumped when Helga spoke up right away. And it was even more unexpected by what she said. "Ah knew yer mother," were the first words out of her mouth.

The young male stiffened in surprise. That was certainly unexpected. He was looking to hear a long harangue about how to treat Astrid with dignity along with an abundance of threats. So why bring up his mother? He pondered over it for a second, and then brightened at a theory that came to mind. Perhaps she was mentioning his mother in order to gain his trust. For instance, if she had a connection with Valka in her younger days, maybe that would break some walls between she and the son. Maybe...

However, why this particular focus? Well, he wasn't exactly _touchy_ on the subject matter of his mother, not like how Astrid was with her uncle Finn, but it was still a sensitive topic. "Y-You did?" He was surprised at this unexpected information to come from someone as hostile as Helga, and even more surprised that Valka was what she wanted to discuss.

The hefty woman nodded once, her gaze sharp and intimidating. "Aye," she confirmed, taking a moment to examine her nails. "Ah knew Valka since we were wee lasses. Small thing, she was. Boney, like ye." Hiccup nodded slowly, a tiny frown prodding his complexion as he glanced down at his small wrist, unsure how to retort. Alright, not the best of starts, but at least she wasn't scowling.

"Uh-huhhh…." With the intention of brightening the mood, he put on a toothy grin. "Were-Were you friends with her?" He asked hopefully.

To his utter disappointment, Helga's eyes narrowed as if he had said something positively revolting. Ah, _there_ was that scowl of disgust he adored so much. Timing. "_Valhalla_, no!" She exclaimed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. All of the male's reassurance was instantly evaporated and his stomach began to churn.

Noting the lad's confused expression, she explained, "Ah was never allowed to surround myself with her sort. Ye have to understand," she added as Hiccup stared glumly at the tabletop, his fingers tracing the etches of wood, "Yer dear mother's opinions weren't exactly accepted in the lives of Vikings back in those days. See, she felt it were wrong to bring harm to the dragons. Kept...getting in the way of raids...Unsetting traps...Hiding weapons..."

This was new. This was VERY new. Hiccup felt his heart stop and his hands stiffened. Why was this news? Why was this NEWS?! With an audible intake of breath, he stuttered, "She-She felt the same way?" His mind couldn't wrap around it. All this time, why hadn't his father told him?

He'd been told that his mother lacked a prejudice, but he was unaware of how deep it was. He assumed she killed dragons like everyone else, but a bit more hesitantly. But no! She outwardly tried to defy Berk's own laws and... This... This was very important, valid piece of information that he now just discovered about his mother, and it irked him to no end that he received it from Helga.

"The same way?" The woman sneered. "She felt that way her whole life. Even took home a young Terrible Terror one day when she was a wee lass and begged her seniors to let her keep it as a pet. Her parents killed it on the spot. The girl cried for days."

Hiccup couldn't believe what he was hearing. He sat there staring like an idiot, letting the words swirl and blend together in hopes that this personality description would help him paint a better picture of his mother. So...he hadn't been the only dragon-lover out there? His mother, Valka, was just like him in that aspect, and it made him feel warm and fuzzy to discover that he had a connection to her.

"A lot of good that did her," Helga's scornful snort brought him back into focus. "Few weeks after yer own birth, she gets carried off by one of th' beasts. All 'cause she couldn't kill a dragon."

Hiccup cocked his head to the side, his stomach tightening. "Yes, well, she had remarkably good judgment." He couldn't help but add in a tinge of sassiness to the tone of his voice. "Besides, Dad told me it wasn't her fault. She was just protecting me, and I know that for a fact. You, on the other hand, don't-" He faltered mid-sentence, realizing his impudence and silenced himself.

Cheeky little runt. Helga's nose turned upward and she sniffed, obviously not appreciating the look of on his face. "Ye certainly take after her," she remarked, nodding to his stiffened stance.

Hiccup lowered his head, his freckled cheeks reddening a little. "I-I suppose I do. This didn't just appear out of nowhere," He replied softly, gesturing to his face.

"Aye," Helga agreed, crossing her thick arms. "Ah don't see a lot of yer father in ye. Valka was the eccentric one. It's like with dragons," she explained, folding her large hands on the table. "Ef there's something wrong with the female then there's bound to be something wrong with the hatchling."

"The... The hatchli-? Wha-What exactly are you getting at by bringing my mother up?" Hiccup questioned with a forced laugh. "I'm sorry. I'm just curious. Are you assuming I am just as eccentric?" He assumed with a small grin, not that all ashamed of his decorum.

Helga sighed through her nostrils. "What ah'm suggesting," she emphasized with a bold glare, "es that there are a few traits of ye that ah won't be wanting ye to rub off on me daughter. Catch mah drift?"

"W-Wha...? Traits? What traits?" He asked skeptically, slightly offended, "If you meant personality traits, well, then I think we're safe. You know I can't change who she is. She's the same old Astrid. The only thing that's changed is her opinion on dragons, her marital status, her name-"

"-She'll still be the axe-wielding Hofferson she's always been," Helga interrupted with a hiss. Hiccup blinked, and having had enough of the woman's antics that hardly made sense to him in the first place, rolled his eyes.

"Technically, she's a Haddock now," the fourteen-year-old countered with a quiet mutter.

Helga's eyes widened and her fists clenched. "What did ye just say?"

"Haddock." Hiccup lifted his chin, swallowing hard as his hands grew clammy. He attempted to veil his nervousness with his infamous sass. "Her name is Astrid Haddock."

Helga looked around to see if anyone was listening and lowered her voice, leaning across the tabletop. "Now ye listen to me, _Haddock_," she growled, "Ah know ye've managed to wrap the entire village around what little width you have on that finger of yers, but ah look past the veil of...of accomplishments..." She crept her callused hand toward his face. Hiccup was too shocked to protest as her finger drew closer and closer until he went cross-eyed. "...and disclose whatever a nuisance like yeself is masking."

"Masking...? You mean-What are you...?"

"Mah point being," Helga explained, "that something was always off about ye, whether it be your appearance-"

"My appearance?" Hiccup let out a short laugh of disbelief. "Be-Because I'm scrawnier than most Vikings?"

Helga glared at him. "Ah don't trust ye around mah girl," she continued blatantly. Why couldn't the boy understand? Astrid was her little girl, her daughter, who was now tied down with...with him! Never mind that he'd tamed the dragons. Never mind that he was the Chief's son. Never mind that he was the heir of Berk. When the woman looked upon the boy, all she could see was some cocky little Viking who'd managed to sweep Astrid off he feet.

"Why not?" Hiccup inquired.

"Why not, ye ask," the woman repeated. "Et's quite simple really." Helga leaned forward and whispered fiercely, "Ah know what ye did, Haddock. Poisoning my daughter. Raping her senseless. Tainting her with yer little bastard children."

That was when Hiccup decided that was the last straw. It was one thing to insult him, but to spat upon the name of his unborn child was simply taking it to a whole 'nother level of low. The baby had no voice, therefore unable to defend itself against Helga's tirade.

"Don-Don't you dare...call my kid that," Hiccup warned, surprising the woman with his intensity. "Whatever the rumors are, or whatever the voices are telling you in that head of yours is untrue." His pointing finger went limp as he subconsciously screamed at himself, _"__WHY DID I SAY THAT?! WHY?! WHY!? WHY?!__"_

Helga's nostrils flared. "Why ye little-"

"G-Gah! Stop, please! Listen, Astrid...Astrid means...so much to me," Hiccup went on, his gaze lowering to his lap before snapping back up to meet her. "I would never-and I mean never defile her like that. I did NOTHING. What happened between she and I was a total accident and you need to accept that."

"Ye think ah believe ye?" Helga snarled, raising a hand, fully prepared to strike the young male. Anger, pure anger that she could hardly, or perhaps chose not to, was channeling through every fiber of her being, and it was all she could to keep herself from-

"You should!" Hiccup insisted, thrusting he hand around for emphasis, his brows furrowing. He wasn't sure where or when this fiery defiance had appeared, so he gave it little thought. "Go!" He pressed, his nasally voice rising a few octaves higher than normal. It was that single word that struck down the barriers of what was moral in Helga's mind. "Go ask her! Even she'd-"

_*Slap*_

The slap itself echoed across the Hall, turning the head of every Viking that was situated there, including Astrid herself, who was now seething with rage. She stood several feet away from the table; she'd been approaching as her mother struck him.

Helga stood quite still, hand red and tingling from the amount of force she had exerted upon her fleshy target, being the boy's cheek. He had toppled over backward and tried to grasp at his helmet for security, which fell from his trembling hold, and he landed with an, "oomph" on the stone floor. He gaped up at her and covered his reddening cheek with both hands, scrambling back a few feet in fear, leaving his discarded helmet.

The woman's heart beat rapidly quickened as she realized her mistake, and her azure eyes flickered around the Great Hall until they met Astrid's just-as-daunting ones.

Astrid had heard everything, from her mother's threats to Hiccup's angry retorts and sarcastic remarks. And when she saw her mother bring her meaty hand down and strike the lad across the face, it became too much to bear. Her grip tightened on the wooden bowl she held unsteadily.

Ignoring her father's pleads, the female Viking stomped over to the table, sending a searing glare at Helga before kneeling down and cupping the wilting boy's cheeks in the palms of her hands. "Oh Gods," she whispered as Hiccup averted her gaze in shame, the red welt just below his left eye flaring.

"I'm-I'm so sorry-it's-it's my fault-" he began, but the blonde cut him short with a soft connection of their lips. Hiccup gasped into the kiss and shut his eyes, heart thumping considerably quicker than before. This, of course, infuriated the woman before them to no end. So perhaps that was why Astrid did it; not only to comfort her partner but to anger her mother as well.

As soon as they separated, the fourteen-year-old female whipped around to face the guilty-party, her blonde braid her catching Hiccup's eye from her abrupt movement. "How could you?" She snarled fiercely, her scowl a clear resemblance of an angry yak.

Not about to let the Haddock boy win this one, the woman retorted with, "How could ah? How could he?" She thrust a callused finger at an injured Hiccup, who visibly flinched.

"How could he what?" Astrid challenged, her fists and chest tightening. "Defend me? Defend our baby?" She grasped her stomach. "His title? Dignity?"

Helga began to sputter until she stopped, pursing her full lips together. She realized her mistake after taking into account that the unborn child was her daughter's, not just the boy's. Helga quite understood the girl's fury and was quite sheepish, at least in that aspect. Not wanting to appear deterred, she said, "Ye bite yer tongue, lass-"

"And that's another thing," Astrid interrupted without batting an eye. It was clear that she felt no fear toward the large woman. "In terms of marital laws, I'm no longer required to obey your commands." There was a short breath of silence as both Helga and Hiccup tried to process what the blonde girl was saying. Helga actually faltered for a moment, her stiffened stance giving a slight twitch of protest.

Egil looked forlorn, and rather dejected. After all, this was his only daughter who was basically denouncing her loyalty to her mother. Astrid knew this, so for her father's sake more than her mother's, the girl's hard-set, stony expression softened and her voice quieted.

"Mom, I'm married now." She wanted to say more, but that one sentence may have summed it up. "I'm not living in your house anymore and I'm not...a child. Therefore, mother, every insult, every slap to the face towards him is a slap in the face to ME! Don't you understand that?!" It was hard to tell but Helga was sure that she heard a crack in her daughter's voice. A falter.

"D-Do...?" For once, Helga was unsure of how to respond. She cleared her throat. Hiccup looked back and forth between the two, eyes wide. Taking their squabble as a distraction, he quietly retrieved his helmet and held it close to his chest for a sense of security.

Astrid was probably the only person that could leave the great and mighty Helga Hofferson to a stuttering mass of uncertainty. It was a desirable talent, Hiccup had to admit. Impressive, to say the least.

"What?" The girl cried angrily, her face growing hot. "What are you getting out of hating him? It's not doing you any good, is it?!" Helga's downcast, shameful eyes sprung back to life at this remark.

"Astrid Hofferson!" Her mother exploded, slamming her fist upon the table, causing the mugs to teeter, almost spilling their contents. Hiccup jumped, and was unsurprised to see that Astrid hadn't even flinched. She stood stock-still. But then:

"It's Astrid Haddock," the girl retaliated with a sad sneer, placing a hand on Hiccup's back and turning him around. With her nose in the air, she led the both of them away from a very distraught Helga. She paused a moment to glare at her mother over her armored shoulder and added rather haughtily, "Get it right."

Helga sputtered, looking as if she were going to bust her sleek, horned helmet in a fit of rage. And...regret. Vikings within a close range of her scooted back in trepidation.

Hiccup was incredibly nervous at that point, and he was sure that he get an axe in the back at any moment. Though, he was flattered that his wife had verbally addressed herself as such. However, it did nothing to quench the flames. If anything it only fueled them. "Ah-ah, Astrid," he tried to apologize, but failed miserably, "it's... I'm-I'm so sorry..."

"No. Don't be. It's okay," Astrid growled, obstructing her view from her father's hunched, gloomy form with her bangs.

In the chaos, Hiccup managed to pluck up the courage to shoulder-glance to the two adults stationary behind him. The sorrowful expression Egil had adopted made him feel bone-crushingly guilty, but the hatred illustrated in Helga's eyes alone was enough to make him shiver, despite the warmth from the central fire. The look signified that what he had said, that he had managed to swipe Astrid away from her mother, was unforgivable. Odin knew what she was scheming.

Astrid simply shook her head and stomped to the other side of the room, nearing the group of teenagers that had just entered.

"That went well," she muttered sarcastically, sitting down with a painful thump, the blunt spikes of her armored skirt digging into the wooden bench. She buried her face in her palms and dug her thumbs into her eyelids, her face still warm with shame. She had forgotten that there was an audience.

Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut all eyed each other nervously as Hiccup sat, who observed them quietly. Both Ruffnut and Tuffnut had black eyes, bruises, and cuts. Obvious results of having been the targets of a furious Nightfury from the night before. Fishlegs had several scrapes on his flabby arms, results from sprinting to the forest after Snotlout. Speaking of...

Hiccup glanced around. Where was Snotlout? As if he weren't guilty enough from what just happened, he remembered that he had rejected whatever Snotlout was trying to tell him after the consummation. Well, there was apparently no room for thought of his cousin's whereabouts, because Astrid was just getting started.

"Hiccup," she groaned into her palms. She paused, and then said, "You couldn't even-"

"I tried," he muttered quietly, resting a hand over the painful welt. "I-I'm sorry. I really...I really did try. I..." He lowered his head in shame. "I don't know what happened. She just-just brought my mother up out of nowhere-I...don't know why, but..." He sighed, "I thought she was trying to-I don't know-make up or something."

Under the influence that since Astrid hadn't brought up the previous night's affairs, Tuffnut assumed she had forgotten, so he questioned casually, "Does she still hate you? Helga, I mean? Because, dude, she slapped the bejesus out of you! You could've heard the slap all the from Outcast Island!"

Hiccup glared at him and let his head fall against the wooden table, his helmet falling out of place. Tuffnut sighed sympathetically and patted the boy's auburn hair; causing him to grimace, "Don't take it too personally, man. I mean, Helga hates too. Last time we saw her, she was yelling at me for taking a dump on her doorstep."

The group was silent, internally shuddering in disgust at the unwanted bit of information until Fishlegs spoke up in realization. "Is that why there's fecal matter on my doorstep every morning?" He asked angrily.

Tuffnut shrugged and took a bite out of his juicy leg of mutton. "Whupsh. Bushted," he mumbled nonchalantly through a mouthful of food.

"That's different, Tuff," Hiccup mumbled unhappily, resting a freckled cheek in the palm of his hand. "A prank, no matter how weird, is just a prank. People get over that. Me on the other hand... Well-I mean-I got her _daughter pregnant_!" He hissed the last bit under his breath as to not upset Astrid any further. "I could've gotten into her good terms, but by the looks of it, I've gone a thousand steps backward."

Ruffnut smirked and snorted into her hand. "Yeah, good job."

Fishlegs groaned and covered his bruised face with his large digits. "Can we please not talk about that?" He whimpered in despair. "I just got over the image of you guys consummating, _and_ the image of Tuffnut expelling his waste on my doorstep."

"Oh, that reminds me." Astrid uncovered her face and sent a major death-glare at the twins before slamming her fist into the table, causing the plates and mugs to rattle. "Don't think I've forgotten what you two mutton-heads did last night. Spying on us?!" she hissed. "You should be thanking Odin above that I can't over-exert myself or your helmets would be embedded in your sorry little-"

A frightened little cry from Fishlegs caused her to pause and she sighed. "Not you, 'Legs," she assured the timid male. "You're better than that."

"Oh, thank Thor," the hefty boy sighed in relief. "For a second there I thought you were gonna-Ahem. B-Besides, I was only there to provide moral support. You know, for Snotlout?"

"For-For Snotlout?" Hiccup questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Oh. That's right..." Come to think of it, Snotlout had been going to tell him something the other night, but since Hiccup hadn't yet cooled off from the twin escapade, he had sent the burly boy away without question or hesitation.

"Yeah," Fishlegs sighed once more and rubbed at his tired eyes. "Hiccup, I know I promised Snotlout not to tell you anything, but for his own good-" he stopped, thinking back to the night before when Snotlout had told him that he couldn't keep a secret to save his own life. Well, he wasn't in cahoots to the actual secret, but telling Hiccup the basics should save Snotlout a ton of anguish.

"It's a secret. I-I think he's sick, Hiccup," Fishlegs revealed quietly, his heart thumping rapidly against his chest. "He's-He's been holding onto this-this secret that he's been trying to tell you for, well," he chuckled nervously, "quite a while. Blatantly, he's really, REALLY guilty about something." Everyone threw him a questioning glance. "Now, I don't what it is! But I think it's important."

"Question. How long is 'quite a while'?" Astrid interjected, suspiciously squinting her eyes.

Fishlegs bit his bottom lip. "A couple of months."

The group was silent for a moment, and then Hiccup gasped, "A couple of _months_?!" How had Snotlout not spilled the beans yet? Tuffnut whistled lowly. "Why on Berk didn't he confess sooner?"

"Wow. Never thought he'd be able to keep his mouth shut fer that long," Ruffnut commented, impressed. And then she and her brother shared a look, grinning mischievously. "Maybe he'll tell _us_."

"No, guys," Fishlegs warned, causing the twins to slump in disappointment. "I think it'd be good if Hiccup talked to him by himself. Cousin to cousin."

Astrid groans and buried her face in her arms. "I'm sick of all these unresolved family issues," she muttered to herself. Why couldn't everyone just get along and be together with no consequences whatsoever? No grudges, no secrets, no rivalries... Ugh. That would be the day.

"I suppose that _would_ explain why he's been acting so strange lately," Hiccup murmured thoughtfully, rubbing his scarred chin. "Okay." He decided. "Okay. I'll go talk to him later." He should, really. It was the mature thing to do.

"Heh. Good luck," Fishlegs chuckled sadly, halting his thoughts. "I was up all night coaxing him to tell me what the issue was. Through a storm!"

"And he didn't fess up?" Ruffnut asked in awe before taking a swig from her mug.

"Not even," Fishlegs sighed, crossing his arms. "With all due respect, I think you should let him come to you instead of chasing him around. It's like trying to convince a cornered Terrible Terror to give up its fish."

"Not gonna happen," Astrid concluded offhandedly, shamelessly stealing a chunk of beef from Tuffnut's plate.

"Wha-? Hey!" The young Viking spluttered. "That's-" He quickly silenced himself in submission to the thunderous expression Astrid had adorned and let her take the meat. "Uh... Is this your way of telling me that I'm forgiven?"

Hiccup face-palmed.

...

"Snotlout!" A large man bellowed, his deep, guttural voice echoing throughout his darkened household. He motioned to the snowy outside, his being surprisingly undeterred by the cold weather. "We're all goin' to th' Great Hall to ration yesterday's catch!" Spitelout, who was standing in the doorway of his home, shouted to his son. Said son groaned and stretched out against Hookfang, who kept him warm with his toasty scales. "Come, come. Up and at 'em!"

"But Dad, it's freezing!" The burly boy complained, maneuvering himself upward and retrieving his horned helmet.

"A lettle cold never shirked a Viking of his responsibilities," Spitelout dismissed with a wave of his large hand. "Look at that!" He held up his arm and smiled. "No goose-bumps to be seen." He glanced over to his son, who had stalked forward with a sour expression on his face. He frowned, not at all used to seeing the boy like this. Over the course of a couple of weeks, Spitelout had definitely noticed the subtle changes in his son's mood and demeanor. Usually, Snotlout would be more than delighted to work with his father. Thinking it was just another part of hormonal growth, the man shrugged it off. "Teenagers," he muttered to himself with a shake of the head as Snotlout stumbled into the snow.

"Alright boy," Spitelout announced casually as he tread through the powder, easily catching up to his slumping son. "Thes week's catch es going to be a big one. So ah'm goin to need yah to step up and use some of that strength of yours to lift the nets. Understand?"

Snotlout smiled a tiny half grin, his eyes focused on his buried boots. "Hm? Oh, yeah, yep! Sure thing, Dad," he quickly answered before his father could pick up on his inattentiveness. In truth, his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't get his mind off about the previous night, when Fishlegs had been literally chasing him down after his failed attempt to apologize to Hiccup.

He had surprised Fishlegs, and even himself by giving up. By basically refusing to put in any more effort, he'd illustrated, quite clearly, that he wasn't the persistent, stubborn person he had always built himself up to be.

"Yah alright there, son?"

His father's questioning voice caused Snotlout to snap out of his deep, troubled subconscious, and he forced himself to beam at the much larger man. "You kidding? I feel great! Like I could conquer the Romans," he replied haughtily.

Spitelout grinned. "That's the spirit a Jorgenson should always feel." He gave the younger Viking a rough thump of encouragement on the back, causing him to slightly stumble forward. "Ah just ask, because ye've been actin' a lettle deferent lately."

Snotlout's chocolate eyes widened just the slightest. "Um, different?" He chuckled nervously. Was it really that obvious? He wasn't at all like his cousin, who could easily veil his emotions by expression or by a sarcastic remark.

"'Course deferent!" Spitelout insisted, giving the grace to his son by at least making eye contact with him. "Ye've been a lot quieter, for instance. Ah don't see ya outside a lot-and that reminds me. Ye've been skipping lessons at the Dragon Training Academy."

Oh...Odin's beard, he noticed?! Snotlout, ever since he had been grounded, had tried to make himself busy so his father wouldn't notice. He hadn't done a good job of covering that up either. Hm. Maybe he should've given Fishlegs' a break about keeping secrets, because he wasn't too good at it himself. "Oh...yeah, about that?" The male tittered nervously once more before revealing, "I sorta got…suspended." His voice quieted near the end of the sentence, causing his father to squint.

"What was that, boy?" The man's voice was dangerously soft.

"Eh...? Uh... I'm-Um-" Snotlout panicked and shocked Spitelout by literally sprinting away, snow uplifting and flying out on either side of him as he plowed through.

"Wha-? Snotlout?!" The man roared in disbelief as his son tore away from him. "GET BACK HERE NOW!" Even the fact that he was privy to the biggest secret on Berk, nothing could break his programmed obedience as a Viking toward his father. With a heavy sigh, he began to trudge back toward his awaiting father.

_"You are so dead_."

**Author's Note: I apologize sincerely to all my Fanrats for the incredibly slow update. It's been so difficult for me lately and I know that I promised a quicker update, so I just want to let you guys know what I've been doing that stopped me from posting the chapter:**

**1\. A two-day church retreat.**

**2\. Three track meets (in the same week)**

**3\. Baby-sitting**

**4\. Biology and Spanish Tests**

**5\. A short story revolving around Hiccup's insanity. - Yeah, I know.**

**But to make it up to you all, the next chapter is gonna be the road trip to Snoggletog! We're actually quite close to the end****…**


	8. Mishap by Concession

**Author's Note: NOTE TO SELF: Okay, THIS time you're definitely going to update sooner.**

**UPDATED author's note: ...Crum. So I counted up the votes, and here are the results: STORMLESS IS A YES! There will definitely be a Toothless/Stormfly relationship in this story. Fear not for those who voted "no", for it shan't affect the plot to a Nazi-level extreme, but it will be enjoyable to write. A pleasure for me, to say the least. You know, I think it's quite funny how people aren't bothered by the fact that Hiccup and Astrid are having a baby, UNDERAGED no less, but they're practically starting a revolution when I mate a Nightfury and a Deadly Nadder. ...Wow. Just. Just wow. I've practically got people throwing bricks at my house!**

**Teenage pregnancy: Fanrats, "Sure! Absolutely appropriate! As long as it's Hiccstrid." :D**

**Crossbreeding Dragons: Fanrats, "WHOA! CALM DOWN, FREAK! CALM DOWN! Man. That's just wrong! They didn't do it in the show, therefore it SHOULDN'T BE DONE!**

**Me: Well... I can name a few other things that didn't happen in the show. Point is, it's a different version of the story. MY version. I could turn Toothless into a pineapple and you wouldn't have the right to complain. (Though, granted, that would be a very stupid thing to do).**

**Commence the responses:**

**Squeegeeslayer9001: Aw darn, you don't have any stories to check out. Shame really. Well, I hope to hear more from you in the future away!**

**Guardian of Azarath: SHHHHH! *sends you a PM***

**Leí Raeyna: Trust me, the adults on Berk can sometimes be as smart as wet carrots.**

**Midoriko-sama: Is that so? Hm. Imagine that. Well, thank you!**

**Hope: Congrats you lil' reference spotter, you! ;)**

**hopelessromantic4life: She's dead... :)**

**Guest: Thank you! It can be stressful to update if everyone is expecting a quick one.**

**Guest (Number Two): ...Oh cripes, I didn't know that Vikings did that! Haha! Whoa. I suppose Helga's really got it in for herself. Man, that's just...man...**

**MHJohn64th: I just wanna go out on a limb and say how much I love your reviews. They manage to put a smile on my face every time I read them no matter how much of a crummy mood I'm in.**

**travellerofadifferentpath: You're right. Hiccup's accomplishments doesn't seem to faze Helga, doesn't it? She really needs to wake up before _something_ happens.**

**PrincessOfAtlantis101: Here ya are! :D**

**HugsandBugsSmileyFace: Daw, thanks so much! I hope you enjoy what's in store for them in this chapter.**

**SharKohen: More like a thousand steps. And it's kind of funny, but I'm like the "Fishlegs" of my group of friends, only much more aggressive.**

**Guest (Number Two): No, the fetal position is just basically curling up into a bal. Harmless, to say the least. Ha! I never thought I'd be asked that question on Fanfiction! XD**

**And once again, there is no swearing in my world. And I don not own the "How To Train Your Dragon" ****franchise.**

* * *

**_Chapter Eight: Mishap by Concession_**

"She did WHAT?!" Stoick roared with noteworthy volume that brooked towards the unreached region of deafening. A volume he hadn't breached since the battle of the Red Death. It startled both Hiccup and Astrid even more so by how quickly he situated himself from a limp heap on the wooden floor to a towering, brooding thundercloud.

Astrid was understandably intimidated by the demeanor that her father-in-law suddenly possessed, and she effectively dodged his hardened gaze. Hiccup did the same. Stock nearly trembled with fury; his cold green eyes could not have burned foil any brighter than they had at that enraging moment when he learned what had transpired earlier between Hiccup and Helga. His eyes were dark, unforgiving, and it made the two teenagers instantly regret confessing.

"Y-Yeah. Pretty much..." Astrid began, but trailed off, sheepishly rubbing her thawing arm.

See, after yet another ruthless trek through the snow, Astrid had made it clear to tell the Chief everything that had happened. Anger and annoyance admittedly fresh in her mind as a result of her mother's actions.

Hiccup, the voice of reason in a time of crisis, strongly advised her against it and warned that the situation would only worsen. But since when had Astrid listened to him in a fit of anger?

So in an almost blinded rage, one that ironically mirrored her senior, she stormed through the snow all the way back to Hiccup's house just as the Chief was rousing from his slumber. She wasted no time in spilling the beans, and he didn't take it as lightly as she had (sort of) hoped.

With a harsh grunt, the vast man stole for the door, retrieving his furry cape and horned helmet, which had adopted a layer of frost over the metal surface. "That's it," he barked gruffly, "I have had enough of this." That couldn't be good. The man had a familiar glint in his eyes, one that fallen warriors had stared into once they were eradicated and out of the way.

"Wh-Dad?" Hiccup called out, feeling his heart jolt in his chest. "Dad! It's okay!" He assured, panicky. "Everyone gets angry once in a while and I'm sure she didn't mean it." After a moment's hesitation, he turned to Astrid for confirmation. "...Right?" The girl sucked in a shallow breath and shrugged her shoulders.

"Hiccup, she slapped you," Stoick growled, slamming his horned helmet in place and taking a step outside his abode. Hiccup's shameful gaze drifted to the wooden floor, and he unconsciously touching the prominent, angry welt on his freckled cheek.

"Nobody on Berk gets away with that," Stoick affirmed, and he slammed the door behind him, which caused the entire building to vibrate, resulting in a shower of many dispatched icicles to fall on the man. Hiccup and Astrid winced as they listened to Stoick's shouts and fumbles in silence, azure and emerald eyes trained on the floor.

It took a moment for Hiccup to reply with a bit of annoyance, "Snotlout did when we were younger."

Astrid snorted and took a few steps back, turning her gaze to the center hearth. "Yeah, say it louder. He might actually hear you." She intoned, her eyes going half-lidded as they focused on the flicker of orange flames.

"Sh-yeah, it's not by snappiest comeback," Hiccup admitted, putting his hands on his hips with a shake of his head. "You know, I _did_ tell you that we shouldn't have given anything away," he reminded her just for the sake of it.

"Then do tell me how else you were going to explain the bruise on your face?" The girl blatantly pointed out.

Hiccup blinked, said welt on his face still tingling from earlier. He shrugged accordingly. "Point taken," he agreed. "But you have to admit. Dad's pretty eh, stoic, pun _very_ much intended, when it comes to punishment. He's always been. Little things are no exception by his standards, and well, what your mother did takes the cake. As a result... He might get a _little_ scary."

Upon hearing that, Astrid turned around and gave him a dull look. "Noooo, really? He's the Chief of Berk! He's supposed to be gut-wrenchingly terrifying! But seriously, what's he gonna do? "Banish" her?" She asked with finger quotes, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Hiccup's emerald eyes locked to the ground and he twiddled his fingers uncomfortably. "To... To put it blatantly: yes. He can if he wants to."

"What? No..." Astrid pushed aside with a flippant wave of her hand.

"Actually, yes. May I remind you: he's the Chief. He could do anything! He could split us up if he wanted to," he replied quietly, and Astrid's azure eyes widened.

"But he wouldn't really go through with that?" She let out a choking laugh in disbelief. "Over something as stupidly ridiculous as this?"

Hiccup gave her sad look, and after a beat he replied with, "Yes." Astrid's eyes widened and she took a step back. "I-I'm not making going to make any outrageous assumptions," Hiccup quickly assured upon absorbing her horrified expression. "It's just what us Vikings have done in the past, and even in other tribes. I heard that Ozwald the Agreeable-you know, from the Berserker tribe-had a first wife, but they had to divorce because her cousin disrespected him or something."

"But I know your dad," Astrid insisted almost desperately. "And he doesn't seen like the type to go and just dunk a relationship in the outhouse because some idiot had to go and make a dumb move."

Hiccup snorted a bit at her flattering use of words. "I don't know... I'm, I'm sure my dad'll just... Ah-I dunno, give her a lecture?" He guessed, shrugging both shoulders with an unsure grin.

"An incredibly long, bore-me-to-tears lecture, no doubt," the girl hoped with a smirk, her gaze drifting to the wooden floor. "I know I've said it before, but I really am sorry about her."

Hiccup mustered up a small grin. "It's not your fault," he began, but she cut him off.

"I know," Astrid said with a tiny smile. She was quite aware of her innocence off of her involvement, but it still didn't seem right. "But if she isn't going to apologize to you, then, well, who will? Tuffnut? Dad might, but he's almost scared to death of her."

"Oh, and you're not?"

"Freya, no," Astrid smirked. "Come to think of it, she might be frightened of _me_. I can see why though. Can't get any more intimidating than this." To make a point, she spread out her arms and swaggered her very pregnant self across the room, causing her partner to let out a series of guffaws.

"Or this-?" He struck his own little pose, and Astrid laughed.

"Very intimidating," she assured him with a pat on the shoulder. He lit up suddenly, a smile spreading over his freckled face. "What?"

"You didn't punch my shoulder this time. Yes!" He thrust his fist into the air, quite victorious until Astrid decided to lightly sock him in the gut.

"Don't get too carried away," she warned with a light smile, wagging her finger as he stumbled backward, rolling his eyes all the way.

They shared a small chuckle and Hiccup began to feel a little bit better. It was over, for now at least. His father would hopefully take care of the situation with delicacy, and Helga might cease dwelling over the past.

"You know," he drifted as he opened the front door and peered outside, "it's warming up a little and we've had an...interesting morning. Maybe Toothless will be up to flying. Wanna come?"

"Nah," Astrid immediately dismissed with a flippant wave of her hand.

"Oh," Hiccup muttered, surprised and rather crestfallen at her rejection. His small hand slid away from the door handle. "Really?"

It didn't take long for a smirk to appear on the girl's face, and she snorted good-naturedly. "No, you moron!" She laughed and slugged his already-bruised shoulder, causing him to yelp. "I haven't flown for months! Of course I wanna come!"

It was now midday, the powerful sun doing little to thaw the tiny white flecks that continuously drifted quite weightlessly from behind the dark, ominous clouds that hung overhead. The short, stubby icicles had grown rather long and hung quite dangerously from every porch, every windowsill, and every beam.

After a rather harsh thrashing from his father, Snotlout reluctantly helped the older Vikings haul in the latest catch the fishermen had made that afternoon down at the docks. The docks themselves were actually icier than any part of the island. It took a while, but the boy began to warm up to the physical exertion since it did a decent job keeping his mind off of the dirty deed and the freezing weather.

Out at the docks, the cold air was salty and fresh, the sea spray lapping at the booted ankles of every Viking working on the docks themselves, leaving the beings to shiver.

"Poot yer backs into et, men!" Mulch shouted as one of the Vikings huffed and almost lost his grip on one of the nets that was chocked full of fish. "Thes es all goin' t' be rationed fer th' Devastating Winter stock! Can't have the young ones go hungry, can we?! Heave ho!" His voice was starting to get on Spitelout's nerves, so he walked over to a different dock with a grumble, leaving his son alone.

Snotlout wasn't the only child who had been taken under the wings of the sailors. Gustav was by also his side, much to his disappointment, and was grinning like Toothless if he had been awaiting a scratch under the chin. "Hey! Wassup, Snotlout!?" He greeted cheerfully, following the older male from the dock onto one of the fishing boats. Unlike all the other Vikings present, he didn't seem to be bothered by the cold. Perhaps because of the thick bear-fur coat draped over his shoulders. _Cheater_. "Need any of my MANLY assistance? My dad said I could finally help out with the stock! Cool, huh?"

"Fan_tastic_, Gustav," Snotlout muttered sourly, adjusting his horned helmet before taking hold of another net and struggled to lift it alone.

The young boy was deaf to Snotlout's intentional sarcasm and he beamed. "I know, right? Fishers nowadays need all the brawny help they can get. 'Specially if their lead is Mulch," he added with a giggle under the cover of his hand.

"Heh." Snotlout just grunted and rolled his eyes, straining under the weight of the net as he hauled it to the other side of the small ship. Gustav watched with a grin. "Neeeeed any help?" He sung, sauntering over with a knowing look.

Snotlout gave one last heave and slumped, letting out a big exhale. "Ugh. Fine!" He gave in and adjusting his helmet as the younger Viking bounded over to take hold of one end of the net. "Just try not to get in the way. 'Kay kid?" He sneered.

Gustav took no notice of the obvious jibe and gave a nod. "On three?" He suggested.

"...Alright. One..." Snotlout began.

"...Two..." They yanked up the net and gave it a backward swing.

"...Three!" With mustered strength, the two boys thrust the net over the side of the ship. Unfortunately, due to the difference in brawn between the two, Snotlout's end of the net traveled further than Gustav's, causing it to flip vertically and crash into Bucket, who had been wandering into its path in a daze.

"Oooh!" Gustav laughed with a cringe as Bucket yelped, helplessly buried beneath the net of fish. "That's gonna leave a mark!" He guffawed. He stopped suddenly, turning to the older boy with large, curious eyes staring intensely in observation. "What's wrong, Snotlout?" He asked in confusion. "You usually love to laugh at other people's expense."

Snotlout sighed, admittedly dramatic, and leaned against the ship's rail as it rocked to and fro. "Usually. Usually," he agreed with a subtle nod. "I just happen to have a lot of things on my mind." Gustav cocked his head to the side, causing his helmet to slide out of place. The bulkier male glanced at him for a moment before examining his fingernails.

Gustav stared at him blankly. "But you _never _have things on your mind," he gradually pointed out. Snotlout sent him an abrupt glare, which caused the boy to put on an innocent smile. "But hey!" He quickly amended. "I'm all ears in case you need someone to talk to!" He caught himself and chuckled nervously. "N-Not that you would need someone-to-to talk to, because you're the best, fearless, and most stoic Viking I know!"

Snotlout bit his lip. _"If only that were true,__" _the voice interrupted, causing him to frown. "That may be true," he shrugged nonchalantly. He gazed down at the smaller male, all child-like and dumb and innocent and totally unaware of what his role model had done. It made his stomach churn in the most grotesque of ways. It wasn't fair, he realized with guilt. It wasn't fair to anyone, really, for what he had done. Not fair to Hiccup, not to Astrid, their baby, his Chief, Fishlegs, or even Gobber, Tuffnut, Ruffnut...Gustav.

Snotlout closed his eyes for a moment. It was essential, he realized. He couldn't hold it back any longer. Whether it was to a total stranger or a close friend, he had to tell somebody for Thor's sake! Somebody! Anybody! Even-! He paused in his subconscious rant and observed Gustav.

"Okay, just-look kid," he bent down and looked from side to side before returning his hardened gaze to Gustav, who tensed in anticipation. "I get that you think I'm all that, and you're right, but...um..." He bit his lip and looked around. "Why don't we take this somewhere a little less crowded."

"Why?" Gustav asked curiously and then grinned mischievously. "Oh! You gonna tell me a secret?" He squealed when Snotlout gave another nod, not noticing the older male's nervous demeanor.

...

"D-Do you see them anywhere?" Astrid loudly called to her partner, who was scavenging through the woods near their house. Although it had warmed up a bit at midday, it was still freezing cold. Hiccup graciously gave up his furry vest to his wife, who was shivering far more than him.

They had been scavenging the woods for both Toothless and Stormfly for quite a good while now. But whilst they hunted, they noticed something else. They began to realize it when they marched through the plaza, around the cove, and even near the beach. There were hardly any dragons around except the occasional elder and a few stragglers here and there.

It was strange enough that Toothless and Stormfly were missing, but why were most of the dragon population absent? Most of the villages's dragons were oddly missing, many tracks leading into the forest which included a certain Nightfury and Deadly Nadder.

"Not yet," Hiccup called back as he wrapped his arms around himself, missing his temporarily absent vest. "But I found their tracks. They shouldn't be far."

"Good!" The blonde breathed, leaning over to place her hands upon her knees. It was fairly difficult, considering her bodily state. She frowned. "They were here last night, right?" The young girl called out again, trudging through the slush. Her boots were most likely getting soaked by the second. "Oh come ON. We've searched the whole stinking island!"

"I kn-know, I-I know," Hiccup chattered, shivering uncontrollably. "So thank you, for summing that up."

Astrid huffed at his remark and tried not to let her nerves get the best of her. "They were outside your-_our_ house right before the-er...the consummation. So where on Berk are they?"

"Well, wherever they are," Hiccup called back, pausing in his tracks and waiting for her to catch up, "we can't have them following in my dad's footsteps." Astrid approached his side and rolled her eyes, but the boy caught a hint of a smile.

"I don't think dragons drink mead or ale, Hiccup," she pointed out.

He shrugged. "True. Then we should keep my dad away from them. After all, with all that wine in him, it wouldn't be advisable to have him around open flame."

"Pfffft!" Astrid snorted, covering her mouth with one hand, the other supporting her stomach. "Sure," she agreed with a chuckle. "It'd be safest." Glancing down at the tracks, her sharp gaze followed said imprints into the trees and she squinted. "Why didn't they just fly inst-? Oh, that's right. Toothless cant fly on his own."

Hiccup grinned. "Well, that was very kind of Stormfly to walk with him. You should-you should definitely give her some chicken for that."

Before Astrid could conjure a proper quip, the tall-tale screech of the Nightfury echoed through the forest, causing the two Vikings to stop in their tracks.

Hiccup nearly barrelled forward, thoughts only of his reptilian friend. "Toothless?!"

...

After cooking up an excuse to Spitelout to get away from the docks, the two young Vikings hiked up the railway on the side of the cliff.

"I gotta admit," Snotlout said, sincerely impressed, "I never thought Dad would believe ya about the rationing at the Great Hall. Thank Thor it's a coming event."

"I know, right?" Gustav lightly skipped on ahead, pausing every few moments to wait for the older male to catch up with him. "So where we going?" Oh, that kid had no idea what he was in for. But it had to be done. He had to get some sort of release.

"How...How about we hang around Raven Point?" Snotlout suggested, trying to keep a level tone to calm his erratic nerves. He had been in better shape. Right now his hands were clammier than ever, his heart was pounding quite aggressively against his chest, and little beads of sweat began to gather beneath the helmet in his jet-black hair. "It's pretty much isolated over there. So it's just gonna be the two of us."

"Aw, sweet!" Gustav exclaimed, skipping on ahead again as they traveled through the plaza where the rest of the villagers were hard at work. "So what's the secret about?" He asked loudly. "Is it a good one? How long have you been keeping it from every-MMPH?!"

Snotlout had rushed forward and slapped a callused hand over the young boy's mouth, fearing that a villager would notice and call them out. However, his actions drew the attention of an even bigger crowd, who glanced at him in confusion before resuming their daily activities.

Once he was sure the suspicion had settled, the boy glared. "Will you be quiet?!" Snotlout hissed, his hold on Gustav tightening as he began to struggle. "You know, the only reason I was gonna tell you in the first place was because I thought you were gonna keep your mouth shut. Not skip through the village singing it to the world!" Gustav mumbled something that might have been an apology, and Snotlout grimaced. "Ugh-AUGH! Did you just _lick_ my hand?!" He gasped, pulling away the appendage.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," the younger Viking sheepishly apologized. "It's just that-well, I've never been in on the gag, you know? This is the first ti-OOF!" But before he could finish, a much larger figure rushed past, knocking the young child roughly aside in the process. Snotlout paled once he recognized said figure. Stoick. Thor almighty.

The vast man paused and whipped around, a look of concern adorning his face. "Oh, my apologies," he apologized sincerely, "Are you alright, son?" Gustav looked up at him with wide eyes and shakily got to his feet, his backside now caked in frost.

"Alright as I'll ever be!" He replied cheerfully, brushing some of the snow off of his dark trousers. "Why the rush, sir-er, Chief?" Snotlout stood by silently as to not draw attention to himself. He prayed to Odin that Gustav wouldn't blurt something stupid like, "Snotlout was just going to tell me a life-changing secret at Raven Point! Care to join us?"

But thankfully, Gustav all but mentioned the privy and Stoick didn't seem to suspect a thing. Instead of instigating suspicion, the man adjusted his horned helmet and briskly responded, "Don't you mind, lad. I just have some unfinished business I need to take care of." He nodded curtly and then continued on his way, leaving a very relieved Snotlout and clueless Gustav.

"Hm. Wonder what he's gonna take care of," Gustav pondered aloud at the Viking's retreating form, and then turned his attention back to Snotlout. "Mildew was probably botherin' him about his precious cabbage, huh? Probably frozen by now. No wonder Chief looked angry!"

"Hehe, yeah..." Snotlout managed to conjure up a weak chuckle, awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Whaddaya say we go... Away? From here?" He asked urgently, whipping his head from side to side. "C'mon, let's go already!"

Wasting no more time, he grabbed Gustav's smaller hand and yanked him through the snowy path towards the edge of the village. The child was puzzled over his urgency, but concluded that if Snotlout was this persistent, whatever he was going to tell him must be good.

As soon as they arrived at Raven Point, which was actually a small groove surrounded by snow-adorned trees on either side, Snotlout took a deep breath and squared Gustav directly before him. "Okay, okay," he thought to himself, "I got this. It's Gustav! It's just Gustav! He'll keep the secret...if he knows what's good for him."

Gustav was completely clueless to Snotlout's unintentional depravity, and beamed as the older male clasped his shaky hands together. "Okay," Snotlout began, and let out a deep exhale, his warm breath instantly evaporating in small clouds. "Listen to me, kid. What I'm about to tell you has never been disclosed to another human being. Ever. EVER!" He raised his voice at the last part to emphasize. "Now you have to swear that you will not tell anyone."

"Cross my heart," Gustav promised excitedly, making a runic N across his small chest, "and hope to die, stick a dagger in my eye!" His consoling and declaration of secrecy between the two of them calmed Snotlout down a bit and he took another deep breath.

He could do this. He nodded. Yeah. Totally. He could *gulp* do this. He could do this. He could do this. ...He could do this, because he was a Viking. A Viking! He'd put out fires, he'd fought fire breathing beasts, and he had gone up against a mountain of a dragon. He could tell Gustav a secret. ...Even if that secret could technically get him banished. The notion made him cringe and his throat to go dry. _"__Maybe... Maybe I should call this off."_

_"Coward!"_

Snotlout froze. The voice was back. Valhalla above...

"You snot-faced, yellow-bellied wuss!" The voice screamed, "You whimpering limpet! You pathetic pansy! Don't think that you can drag that poor kid all the way out to Raven Point and not tell him! Don't you dare call this off! It's been months. Grow up and confess! If not to Hiccup, then at least to this kid. Confess! Confess! CONFESS!"

"Okay, okay!" Snotlout internally screamed back, "Thor's hammer, you win! I'll do it! Sheesh!" He waited with growing anticipation for another subconscious reply, only to receive none. He sighed and nodded to himself. He could do this. He wasn't a coward. He wasn't a coward. He was a Jorgenson. And Jorgensons never turned a fearful eye away from a challenge. He could do this as calmly and nonchalantly as he possibly could.

"Okay, okay, Gustav," Snotlout began, trying to keep his voice steady. He paused, paling quite considerably. Oh by Freya, how on Berk was he going to start? He needed to remember that Gustav was just a kid. How was he-? Wait. Perhaps... Appeal to what the kid already knew? Yeah, yeah, that could work. "I'm sure you've heard about Hiccup and Astrid's marriage." He paused to see if Gustav was listening, and he was. Intently. He swallowed.

"Definitely!" The young boy confirmed, rapidly nodding. "So?"

"So uh, with-um, with marriage," Snotlout tried to explain, attempting to appear cool and collected but ultimately failing, "comes-er, means that they can have kids together. You...You already learned about that, right? Please tell me you did." Thor knew he did NOT want to give Gustav a lesson on love, marriage, and sex just for the sake of him actually understanding what he was about to be told.

To his relief, Gustav sniggered through his miniature hands, a small blush adorning his pale-from-the-freeze face. "Yeah, yeah. My mom already told me about consummation and all that." He crossed his arms over his chest proudly. "So they did that. The consummation, right? But how is that a secret? Everyone knows that that's just Viking tradition. All married couples do that." How this kid managed to avoid Berk's grapevine was beyond Snotlout's comprehension, and it made things a little harder to explain.

"But that's just it," he tried to explain. Oh, this was it. "Here's the real problem, kid: Hiccup and Astrid already consummated way way waaaay before they got married," Snotlout revealed hurriedly. Gustav's matching chocolate eyes doubled in size.

"Whoa," he whispered, thoroughly shocked. "They-they did that? Before marriage?" He clasped his small hands over his mouth. "Why?!" He inquired. "Oh man, did they get in trouble?! Does anyone else know? Yeesh, why would they do that?"

"It wasn't their fault." Ah, _this_ was it. Snotlout figured if he let it out quickly, it'd be at least bearable on the tongue.

"How is it not-?"

"See, ah-It's mine," Snotlout blurted, crossing his arms over his chest for a sense of security. "It's-It's my fault." He sucked in a breath and bit his lip, watching the younger boy's reaction, who seemed terribly confused.

"...Huh?"

"Yeah...Yes!" Odin's ghost, he regretted this. "You heard me!" He snapped, growing flustered and hot. "It was-It was my fault. My fault-that they did that. It wasn't-like-...It wasn't intentional, I promise, but I'm the one that gave them this drink that got 'em all loopy and they didn't know what they were doing and now-ugh. Man, this is just-" he paused mid-harangue and rubbed the space between his eyes, face growing red from embarrassment. "The point is, Astrid's pregnant." Another gasp from Gustav. "She's gonna have a...a..."

"A baby?" Breathed the boy, who's jaw had gone agape long before this pause. "Whoa. I thought she was just getting fat."

"Yeah," Snotlout mumbled quietly, leavIng an uncomfortable silence to hang over them. Then he said, "I haven't exactly told anyone about this, and it's really starting to get to me. So I told you. For...closure, I guess." Eugh. That sounded so un-Viking: to share one's innermost thoughts for the sake of comfort. "Consider it a privy between Viking brothers in war. 'Kay?"

Gustav said nothing, and instead took to staring at Snotlout with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open in amazement. It bothered the older male, and he snapped, "Put a cork in it, kid." Gustav's mouth instantly shut and Snotlout sighed heavily.

"Are you gonna tell anyone else?" The young boy wondered after he had gotten over his initial shock. Snotlout shrugged and shook his head.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I know it'd be the right thing to do-man, I'm starting to sound like Hiccup," he grimaced. "But I can't. Not now at least. Not when Astrid's due in a few months. No. I...I just have to wait."

"Until when?" Gustav asked In a hushed voice, taking a tentative step forward. "Until the baby is actually born? Snoggletog? After Snoggletog? Tomorrow?"

Snotlout shook his head once more, dizzy thoughts and mixed solutions swirling about his brain. "Can it. I'll tell eventually." And then he remembered. "But until then, you need to keep your mouth shut," he warned, pointing a finger at the chest of the smaller male. "Remember, you swore to secrecy."

"O-Oh, right! Don't worry Snotlout!" Gustav stammered with an awkward salute of reassurance. "I wouldn't dream of it. Cross my heart n' hope to die, stick a dagger in my eye," he repeated, crossing his chest once more with a makeshift runic N.

And that's when they heard the tall-tale screech of the unholy offspring if lightening and death itself.

...

Now, searching for a midnight dragon in a sea of white was proving to be much more of a challenge that neither Hiccup nor Astrid had anticipated. Confident that the Nightfury would stand out like a sore thumb after they heard the screech, the couple continued their search right away. By now, they were nearly wading through the now slushier snow of the clouds.

"That didn't sound too good," Astrid commented breathlessly as they hurled forward. "Toothless sounded pretty upset. And since he can't fly on his own, I'd say he's in danger."

"Ugh... Thank you again, for summing that up," Hiccup quietly muttered under his breath. He liked Astrid; he truly did, but couldn't she for _once_ tilt to the more positive side on the outcome scale? "I'm sure he's fine," he insisted brightly with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "From what we know, Stormfly's with him, so with the two of them together, it should be-OW!"

Astrid had abruptly leapt forward, which was considerably impressive due to her state and the current environment, and latched her fingers into his auburn locks, roughly tilting his head back so he had a clear view of the sky. "Look!" She gasped, and his eyes widened through the pain. "There they are!"

Relief. That was the first emotion that flooded through Hiccup's being. They had finally found them!

But then there was confusion. Wait. Upward? Skyward? But how could both dragons be-?

Instant terror flooded through the arrayed notes of confusion and relief, leaving him terrified.

Directly above them, probably about a few thousand feet in the air and traveling higher, Toothless was helplessly trapped in the claws of a familiar Deadly Nadder, upside down no less! His midnight wings were splayed out limply, his green eyes wide with an emotion neither human could pinpoint.

"Stormfly?" Astrid gasped, momentarily detangling her callused fingers from Hiccup's hair. "W-What is she-?"

"I-I don't know!" The boy answered breathlessly, his enlarged emerald eyes trained on the sky where the Nadder and Nightfury were climbing higher and higher. "I've never seen a dragon do that before!"

The young male's gears were churning quicker than ever, desperately trying to piece together a solution to this outrageous reptilian behavior. Okay, okay, okay. There had to be a logical explanation to what that kind of behavior entailed. But...what? Was this an act of vengeance? A personal flying lesson? Had they gotten into a scuffle? In either case, there would be splattered remains of a Nightfury staining the ground soon enough.

"Stormfly!" Hiccup shouted frantically, cupping his hands around his mouth like a horn and feeling oh-so undependable on the ground. "Come back! Come back!" He commanded. "_Come_ _back down_!"

Astrid helplessly shifted from side to side, at a total loss of what to do other than stare.

"Is-Is Toothless even struggling?" She inquired in a hushed whisper, squinting at the two dragons. And then a little louder, "He's not MOVING!" It was true, Hiccup realized. Toothless seemed oddly relaxed and limp in the Nadder's hold, despite the fact that he was unable to fly and they were thousands of feet in the air.

"Does it matter?!" Hiccup cried as he dug his fingers into his scalp, too fearful to care if sounded snappish. The two dragons were now no more than tiny dots in the big blue sky. "Stormfly! _Down_!" He screamed, growing more and more panicked. "Please! Get DOWN FROM THERE!"

"STORMFLY!"

To their surprise, the dots began to enlarge. "Wait-What?" Hiccup yelped, sharing a panicked glance with the girl. Just like that? They were returning? They were! They were coming back!

The dragons were definitely approaching, definitely... They screeched at each other as the island drew nearer. Toothless finally took the upper hand as they soared downward at a free fall. His black claws dug into the scaly, pale-yellow abdomen of Stormfly as he mounted her from behind, hissing, and nipping at her spikes. The humans down below gawked, completely oblivious to what the reptiles were doing.

Toothless and Stormfly paid no attention to the screams of terror emitting from their riders. If anything, they were confused by it._"Vat are zey vimporing about?" _Toothless wondered aloud after giving Stormfly another sharp nip. _"You'd suppose zat zey vould be impressed, proud eevin."_

_"At zis point, ah'll be surprised ef zey even know vat vee ahre doin' en zee first place," _Stormfly squawked in annoyance, and spread out her wings as the ritual ended. She safely landed by the humans as to not cause them any further distress.

As she suspected, the humans dove at them, attacking the lizards with hugs, shrill yips and guttural warbles. Toothless demounted himself from the female dragon and gave his rider a polite lick of reassurance, as if landing safely wasn't enough to calm the nerves of the small Viking.

"_Eet's alright, youngling_," Toothless warbled comfortingly as his human gave angry little yips, digging his tiny paws against the dragon's muzzle. He happily nuzzled the rider's fuzzy hair and playfully mushed him into the snow, grinning at the young male's grumpy whines of protest. "_Vat? No congrats?"_ The Nightfury teased as he nuzzled the child's freckled face. "_No praises? Not even a cod?" _Hiccup bopped him on the snout with a free paw. _"Ack, NIEN! Fahn zen_."

After sitting back to let his human collect himself, Toothless curiously noticed that the female youngling displayed equal disturbance, scolding the Deadly Nadder with high-pitched yelps, guttural yaps, and even a light slap to the scaly beak. The human male winced at her actions and whimpered pitifully at her, causing her rage to soften.

Stormfly gave the female a polite squawk, but Toothless could tell she was quite annoyed. _"Vhat es wrong weth zis youngling?" _The spiked reptile screeched in outrage. _"Ah, no, anyone would assume zat a ritual like th' we've performed would 'ave earned etself proper praise en recognition! Not-not zis!"_

Toothless rolled his emerald eyes and approached the other dragon._ "Humanes ah strange creatures, yah?" _He studied the Deadly Nadder, who settled herself into the snow under her rider's dominating stance, and he gave her a soft nuzzle, gently crooning, _"You steell reely vant praise? Zat sounds extremely vain."_

Stormfly "hmmphed", preferring to lift her spiked head high and ruffle her wings in preparation to preen. Ah yes, the second act of the ritual: grooming. _"Vell, even ef Ah receive no praise, there esen't a reason Ah can think of to not go on."_

Toothless made a mental note to enjoy the confusion of the young riders as much as he could. To savor the baffled bleats that emitted from his young human as he settled next to Stormfly. _"Don't tell me zat you 'aven't witnessed ze grooming ceremony eizer?" _Toothless asked in bafflement, retracting his teeth to do some careful nibbling around the female dragon's spines. _"Eet's quite easy, except fer ze particularly tricky parts around ze spikes..."_

Stormfly gave a warble of amusement, relaxing against her soon-to-be mate's touch. "_Zey look...ah, very...puzzled don't they?" _She snorted in enjoyment, watching as the two humans began to chatter to each other in shrill cries.

Toothless paused, cocking his head to the side._ "Perhaps zey don't groom each other after mating,"_ he decided, dragging his pink tongue over Stormfly's sky-blue scales._ "Humane tradeetion, eef you may."_

Stormfly scoffed snobbishly, her beady eyes narrowing. _"'Ow perfectly ridiculous!" _She commented stiffly. _"'Ow else ahre zey goin' t' meld zeir scents togezer?"_

_"I'd say by zat salty leequid zat extract while zey mate," _Toothless simply theorized, pausing his own grooming to let Stormfly use her beak to swipe at his scales. _"Or maybe zey seemply don't know how?"_

_"Ha!" _Stormfly cackled._ "Humans ah very limited."_

Hiccup and Astrid, while on their butts in the heaps of snow, foggy minds were beginning to clear and were at last able to piece the puzzle together. Ironically, the closer they got to the truth, the less they truly wanted to know.

"They...They mated," Hiccup realized with a jolt as he watched the two dragons coo and groom over each other. "That's-That's what they were, ah...doing." he blushed heavily, feeling quite silly for freaking out earlier. "I-In the sky. Stormfly was dragging him up there so they-"

"So they could consummate," Astrid finished, her own face flushing at the prospect. They sat silently in the snow for a few minuets, politely keeping their distance from the dragons, but still keeping a close eye on them. The knowledge stirred odd feelings inside the two, but thankfully the coldness of the day was enough to keep them in check.

"And we watched...the whole time," Hiccup realized with a tiny shudder. "That's creepy."

"Agreed," the girl forcefully chuckled, delicately tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "So. On that cheery note, what do you think we should do about it?"

Hiccup couldn't say for sure. In all the months that Berk had finally accepted dragons as faithful companions, rather than the bloodthirsty beasts they were made out to be, he had never seen two dragons mating. Ever. It must be a rare occurrence to say the least. Perhaps all the dragons had done it during the night and they were all resting somewhere in the island. Okay, that he could live with, but cross breeding on the other hand was completely unheard of. But in the grand scheme of things, what else _could_ they do?

"I guess the best thing to do would just-just let nature...take its course?" He decided, not exactly sure how he felt about this. Toothless and Stormfly? Mates? That was a little strange by breeding standards.

The blonde girl raised an eyebrow, and he shrugged his shoulders in defense. "What else can we do?" He logically pointed out. "They've-They've already _done_ it. I mean, it's not like we could make them reverse the..." He trailed off, not enjoying the images that came to mind.

"True," Astrid agreed, staring wonderingly at her dragon. "Do you think Stormfly'll get...you know-knocked up?" The girl inquired the question that was on both their minds, slowly approaching her dragon to give her a pat on the nose. But before she could do so, Toothless did something unexpected that frightened both humans. He abruptly drew himself up and stiffened, giving a quiet growl. Astrid froze, noticing that his once retracted teeth had popped back out like a switchblade.

"T-Toothless?" At the sound of his rider's voice, the Nightfury broke his gaze from the surprised girl and his pupils dilated. Hiccup glanced nervously at his partner, who gave him a baffled look. "Hey...Bud." He smiled nervously. "You alright?" Toothless snuffled in response and pressed his snout against Hiccup's outstretched hand. "Yeah, you're okay. What're you acting all wonky for?"

Toothless narrowed his emerald eyes and huffed._ "Don't act all surprised. You protect your mate and ah'll protect mine."_

Astrid relaxed a bit from her tensed stance and started for Stormfly again, and this time, Toothless let her approach. "That was weird. Toothless isn't usually this aggressive," the girl commented, giving a sharp glare to the midnight dragon. "Sheesh. Get that reptile under control, will you?"

Hiccup let out a nervous laugh, his hands latching onto Toothless's sensory folds and tried to pull him away from his wife. "C'mon, Toothless," he scolded harshly. "What's going on? Astrid's not doing anything." The Nightfury gave a guttural growl once more before tugging away from the boy once more before giving a final warning huff at Astrid, who bristled.

"What?!" She snapped at Toothless, removing her hands from Stormfly's beak to rest them on her hips. What was wrong with this infernal reptile? She had little time to process it, because-

"HELLO guys!" A forcefully cheerful voice called out, startling both dragons and humans as Gustav unexpectedly burst through the snowy underbrush, creating a large cloud of the detached flakes. Toothless snarled warningly at the young boy just as Snotlout was following suit.

"G-GAH! Gustav? Wha-? Snotlout?" Hiccup gasped, his heart rapidly thudding against his chest. "Oh, you scared the living daylights out if me! What are you two doing out here?"

Snotlout shrugged innocently and Hiccup locked eyes with his burly cousin, who stared right back, his thick arms glued to his sides. "I don't know. What're you two doing out here?" Snotlout retaliated. He still looked rather tense.

Hiccup's gaze softened and he let his own gaze drop to his lap, remembering the previous night when he had unceremoniously rejected Snotlout's pleads for him to listen. He felt rather guilty about the whole thing, but the fact that Snotlout had arrived after the consummation put a serious damper on the younger Viking's mood.

The ten-year-old merely let out a mock laugh, folding his arms. "Yeah, what are _you_ guys-?" Gustav started, but then shut his mouth immediately, blinking and looking rapidly between Astrid and Hiccup.

Astrid squinted at the young child as he pursed his lips and glanced worryingly at Snotlout. "You okay there, Gustav?" The blonde asked in confusion. The young boy seemed almost nervous, clasping his hands behind his back and rocking back and forth on his heels. Astrid smirked. "I think the words might've gotten caught in your gizzard."

"M' fine," Gustav managed to squeak out through his barely closed lips. Hiccup was about to question his squeamish behavior, but something else was off about the whole situation. Why was Gustav acting so nervous? So...what was it? Guilt? And why did he continuously send glances to Snotlout? And why on Berk was Snotlout dodging the gazes of everyone present? And furthermore, why was he planting himself right behind Gustav?

"What's going on?" Hiccup asked slowly, lifting himself up from the snow. Unbeknownst to him, Toothless had tensed at his movement, eye pupils shrinking slightly. Hiccup leaned down to the young boy's level and smiled softly as to not stress him any further. "Hey Gustav," he greeted kindly, "do you have something wanna say?"

Curiously enough, Gustav, who was always willing to chatter for an excessive amount of time, slapped both hands over his mouth and rapidly shook his head from side to side. "Nmmph!" He squeaked into his hands, muffling whatever he was trying to say.

Astrid was doubly confused by the setup, so she opened her mouth to question it, but Snotlout beat her to it. "Alright alright alright," he quickly dismissed, putting his hands on Gustav's shoulders, intending to steer the boy away. "We should get going. They wanted us at the docks." He gave his young ward an expectant look. "Right, Gustav?"

"NMMMPH!"

"Right!" Snotlout affirmed, pushing him forward to disappear into the trees, leaving Hiccup and Astrid to gawk. "See ya losers!"

Once the older Viking was sure that he and the younger boy were out of sight, he grunted and effortlessly yanked him up by the collar of his tunic, stretching the seams as far as they would go. "What...in Odin's name...was THAT?!" He hissed furiously. "Do you have any idea how suspicious that looked?!" He wanted to smack his own forehead in irritation. "Doofus, Hiccup was questioning you and you were acting like the biggest guilt-trip Berk has ever seen!"

To his surprise, Gustav's eyes shown no fear or trepidation or even guilt. It had all washed away, leaving only excitement and glee. "I know right!?" He laughed, ravishing in the older male's confusion. "Sorry Snotlout," he apologized. "It's just that-well, I've never kept a secret before."

Snotlout paled and he raised a fist. "What was that?" He growled through gritted teeth.

Amazingly, Gustav managed to pick up on the danger signals and he quickly amended, "Nononono! I meant that nobody's ever _told_me a secret before! Which means I've never technically kept a secret before." He gulped when Snotlout's hard-set gaze remained ever-constant through his chiseled features, and panicked, "I wouldn't tell! Honest! I wouldn't! Ever! Never! Never! Never!"

Snotlout cocked head to the side in disbelief and shook the boy so that his head lopped back and forth like a rag doll. "Listen to me, Gustav," he growled. "This isn't something that can be taken lightly. My life is on the _line_here!" He gulped, his voice taking on a worried tone. "If Chief ever, EVER finds out about this, I...am a DEAD man." He swallowed once more and tried to muster up his intimidating demeanor. "That can't happen. I'm too pretty to die! So you need to promise me that you won't tell anyone. Especially Hiccup, because if he tells Astrid, I'll be more than a dead man. I'll be strung up on a porch, dead, upside down with my eyes gorged out. Got it?"

Gustav sucked in a breath and nodded. "O...kay then! Can't have that happening."

"Got it?!"

Gustav let out a nervous whimper and made a shaky mock salute. "Got it! Hiccup and Astrid are off-limits. No tellin' the secret to anyone on Berk. Or Johan... Because...he isn't technically from Berk."

"Exactly," Snotlout said approvingly, lowering Gustav to set him back into the icy snow, which lightly crunched under his boots. "All you need to do is _not talk_. You can handle that, right?"

Gustav puffed out his small chest and put his hands on his hips. "No problem!" He replied nonchalantly. "Because Gustav here is gonna be so quiet, absolutely nothin' will get past this!" He rapped his knuckles against his horned helmet, indicating to his brain, and the older boy sighed in relief.

"Good," Snotlout approved, smiling for the first time in a while. "Man, maybe Fishlegs was right about "opening up about your feelings" and all that junk. I feel a bit better already!" To prove his point, he began to swing his arms and stretch out his legs. "Like I could-" he cracked his neck, "-like I could conquer the Romans!"

"Awesome! So when are you gonna tell Hiccup and Astrid?" Gustav piped up, putting an immediate damper on Snotlout's cheerier mood. "I mean, you gotta tell 'em eventually," he logically pointed out, "and I don't think waitin' any longer is gonna help."

Snotlout inhaled deeply through nose and tried to grin. "I'll...I'll try." Gustav beamed, gave a nod of excuse, and disappeared into the tress, leaving Snotlout standing alone. The silence bugged him, so he began to stroll about just to hear the icy dirt crunch beneath his boots.

The newfound relief of getting that secret off his chest was diminished, pretty much leaving him back at square one. Could he ever get a break? Ever? No, really. Could he ever get a moment of peace where he didn't constantly have to worry about his future demise? Apparently not.

_"You know the only way to fix all this is to confess,"_ the voice reminded him quietly, causing him to tense.

Snotlout shook his head, glaring at the ground. "Not you again," he muttered. "I did confess. To Gustav."

_"That's not the same, isn't it?" _

Of course not. Confessing to a different person was like bragging to a friend about a prank he or she committed. It wasn't right and Snotlout knew it. "...Guess not," he admitted grumpily with a shrug. "Look, I'll tell Useless when I want to tell him, okay? I never said I wasn't going to, did I? Man, I'm just so _sick_ of people constantly telling me to confess. I'm sick of pretending you exist so I have someone to talk to, because...because you know what?"

_"What?"_

Snotlout paused, stopping in the narrow groove of Raven Point, quite close where Hiccup had discovered Toothless, actually. He sighed, taking in his surroundings while a soft breeze wafting of pine chilled his insides. Somewhere, amidst the silence raven cawed.

"I...I don't..." He swallowed hard. "I don't know. I just... I don't know."

...

Although Snotlout reminded himself over and over that he needed to come out and reveal the truth about his secret crime, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Every single day, if he happened to catch sight of his cousin, that little voice would urge him on,_ "Okay, this time you're definitely telling him." _And every time, his cowardice failed him to do so.

It was getting ridiculous he had to admit. Even Fishlegs had the nerve to tell him. There was no reason to keep something a secret if it was hurting someone, especially if he was hurting himself in the process. The twins, having heard about little conundrum, attempted to prank the secret out of him, but he failed to comply anyway. It seemed like nothing could get him to cough up the secret.

Though, to be fair, there were a significant number of reasons keeping him from doing so: the Chief's wrath, Gobber's wrath, _Astrid's _wrath, Hiccup's mindless lectures, or the fact that he could send Toothless out on him at any time, a freaking _Nightfury_. One slip up could very well lead to his untimely demise, and that was something he was not looking forward to. He could only pray that Toothless would be more forgiving than Hiccup.

It was then he realized that he hadn't given much thought on how Hiccup would react. Sure, he would be upset, angry, and mortified. There was no doubt about that. But what would he...do? Lecture him? Send Toothless out on him? Tell Stoick? Oh Thor, what if he told _Astrid_? Gods help him if that ever occurred.

For one reason or another, Snotlout didn't want the truth to be told from the words of another person. He wanted to be the one to spill the beans, but how could he muster up the courage before a certain someone beat him to it? If honest, that's why he was a bit worried about Gustav, who seemed even more interrogation-happy than Fishlegs was, if that were even humanely possible. One slip up from _that_ kid and the words would spread like wildfire no doubt, all the way to the ears of the Chief. It made him wonder why he bothered to tell Gustav in the first place.

At least now, as the months went on, people were distracted enough not to notice anything suspicious about him. They were simply too busy to take note of his heavy eyelids and distant attitude. Preparations had to be made and the Vikings had no time for melodrama. Eggs were gathered from the hens, milk was collected daily from the yaks, boars were slaughtered for their meat, sheep were shaved for their wool, and a few chosen roosters to be slaughtered, all for the food storage.

At meal times, rations were put into action to such an extent that sometimes even Hiccup would leave the Great Hall with his stomach still rumbling. But it was either that or starve to death when they truly needed the food.

With so many things to get done every winter, the children of Berk needed to chip in and help the adults. Soon, all the young teenagers found themselves stationed with special jobs. Hiccup, naturally, had his apprenticeship at the Forge. Snotlout found himself at the docks everyday to help haul in the catch. Astrid found an irritatingly delicate job at the local seamstress and decided to take up an apprenticeship there to make furry clothing. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were first placed to milk the yaks, but after a few incidents, they were replaced by Fishlegs. From then on, they got to collect the eggs from the hens everyday. Though, more eggs _did_ end up on the walls of Helga's house than in the food storage.

Speaking of Helga, she seemed much more tight lipped, tense, and uncharacteristically quiet whenever Hiccup was nearby, signifying that Stoick might have done his job a little _too_well, whatever he had done.

An example of Helga's newfound subtlety happened a few days after discovering Stormfly and Toothless's courtship. Hiccup and Astrid had gone over to her parents' house to collect what few belongings she had to take them to her new home. It was a bittersweet feeling as Astrid surveyed her old room in the rafters.

Egil, as expected, was kind and helpful enough to help Astrid carry her things back to Stoick's house. He was also very respectful to Hiccup, evidently trying to make up what Helga hadn't, and Hiccup made sure to show his appreciation to the man. Helga stayed behind, hands clasped together while she stood stiff. It was almost just as uncomfortable as the hateful stares, Hiccup realized with a shudder. What had his father _done_ to that woman? After the thundering, angry bull image she'd adopted as her own for so long, it was difficult to adjust to the quieted, sullen wisp of a person she was now.

But Helga's demeanor wasn't the only change on Berk. The weather was an ever-constant realm of unexpected danger. Storms began to occur more often than usual. And not just the run-of-the-mill storms, but the ones that caused one's toes to numb almost instantaneously. The storms that caused warm breath to evaporate into nothingness. The ones that caused one to shiver until his or her bones rattled out of their sockets. The ones that sent even the burliest and warmly-clothed Vikings home to take refuge from the biting cold.

Storm clouds constantly rolled in from the North, barreling towards the village and blanketing everything and everyone with ice. It was an unexpected turn that was worrying the tribesmen. Especially the Chief, who's main priority was the safety of his village. Thank the Gods they had Bucket to predict the upcoming storms so at least they'd have enough time to take cover in their homes.

But it didn't worry anyone more than Hiccup, who's partner's belly was enlarging more and more by the week. Morning sickness was becoming a plus, a sign of normality in the grand scheme of things.

It was so cold that every night they would curl up in each other's arms on that tiny wooden bed and shiver together. Hiccup didn't mind giving up his half of the blanket for her, even if it meant he was left frozen by morning. In fact, he insisted that she take it, despite her protests that he ignored. _"You're protecting two people now,"_ he had told himself. _"It'll only get harder, so for once, be a Viking!" _

By the sixth month, even Astrid had to admit that Hiccup was acting rather protective of her. The fourteen-year-old hadn't noticed it at first, but after a few panicked incidents involving an aggressive Toothless, he began to unveil a different side of him. A protective nature that hasn't existed there before, not even for the dragons. Stoick called it "a father's protection", and deemed it a "natural occurrence", especially if the mother was surrounded by fire-breathing beasts and due during Devastating Winter. That would put any expectant father on edge, and Hiccup was no exception. He wasn't sure where this strange, fatherly instinct had originated from, but if it kept Astrid safe, then he was all for it.

Astrid... Man. It was still hard to process the fact that they were married. _Married_. Actually and unequivocally husband and wife, together in holy matrimony. Hey, he wasn't complaining. If anything, (aside from the ever-occurring mood swings and shoulder punches) life was great!

As the months went on and the two got the time to really know each other, they began to develop a deeper sense of longing for one another. It was weird... It was a subject matter that even Hiccup was incapable of explaining. A passion, like...like an intense desire, both emotionally, and yes, physically too. But was it love? ...Neither of them were positive.

But some nights they would just lay awake and talk until the sun came up. Just _talked_. Talked about interests, disinterests, hates, wants, dreams, desires, the past, the future, overprotective parents, non-understanding parents, dragons, Toothless and Stormfly, their baby, _everything_. It was wonderful, these tête-a-têtes that lasted until late morning. And it was always touching for Stoick to find the young teenagers snuggled against each other, tiny rays of sunlight bathing them in the rare warmth of a lazy afternoon, their unborn child nestled between them.

Hiccup would always have her in his arms, her head resting against his chest, his face buried in her golden locks, one of his hands resting against the swell of her abdomen while other touched her waist. It was so comfortable that neither of them would want to break the spell. Well, eventually Hiccup had to go comply with Toothless's demands for flight by jumping hysterically on the rooftop.

Toothless... Toothless was an odd case. He and Stormfly seemed friendlier and friendlier around each other, and stuck to each other like they were welded together.

More than once, Hiccup and Astrid would find a very affectionate Toothless and Stormfly caught in the process of grooming each other or crooning whenever they returned home from helping out in the village. It was very touching, but with every great fish, there's a leech on the belly.

Toothless was becoming _extremely aggressive_, almost to the point where he wouldn't let anyone, human nor dragon, near Stormfly. If Astrid thought Hiccup was protective, at least he didn't bite or snap at every living thing that approached her. To her irritation, Hiccup was an exception, the only one Toothless would tolerate around Stormfly. It was very frustrating.

"How am I going to feed my dragon," Astrid had complained one day, "if that nut of a Nightfury won't let me near her?"

Toothless took care of _that_ little problem by snatching extra fish from the other dragons to give to his mate. However, it provoked many fights between him and other males that needed to feed their _own_ mates, and usually ended up with scorch marks all over the village rooftops.

Hiccup had warned Toothless with a firmness not to harm Astrid, even though he knew it wouldn't happen. Though verbally aggressive towards the girl, Toothless did sense the delicacy of young growing within her, and he held back from being too physical. It was more for Hiccup's sake than hers, though.

Days turned to weeks and weeks turned into months. Month after month of a grisly cycle complete with blizzards, being cooped up in a drafty house, and back-breaking labor as a result of trying to get everything done as quickly as possible.

The piles of snow grew larger. The metal beams grew icier. The icicles themselves grew quite significantly; daggers lengthened to swords and swords to spears. The villagers had long given up attempting to clear out the plaza of the snow, since the abundance of storms made it evident that the village wouldn't be free from the residue until spring. But with all the downsides of winter upon the Vikings, they did have a lovely festivity to look forward to.

Snoggletog.

And for their own personal reasons, Hiccup and Astrid could hardly wait.

...

**Author's Note: I know, I know. It's short! I actually have a pretty tough time writing the imagery for a snowy winter. As a southern Californian, I rarely see the snow. Maybe like, once every couple of years if I travel to the mountains to ski with my family. Man, it's weird.**

**So, anyway, next chapter we are finally going to dive into Snoggletog, and you all know what that means! *wink* Tehe! BABIES GALORE! *cough* DEATH *cough* Please leave a review or favorite and follow. You know how much I LOOOOOOOOOVE them! ;)**


	9. Mishap by Conception

**Author's Note: Hello my fine, fine Fanrats! Boy oh boy, has it been a while. OVER 17,000 VEIWS?! OVER 150 REVIEWS?! OVER 100 FAVORITES AND 140 FOLLOWERS?! HOLY SALAMANDER/CUTTLEFISH! Thank you **_**so**_** much for all of your awesome support! I've loved every follow, ever favorite, every upbeat review! So for all your troubles, my amazing little readers, a joke:**

**Fishlegs: **_Hey, Hiccup, how can we celebrate a Christmas-related holiday if Jesus isn't born yet?_

**Hiccup: **_Just drink your freaking Yaknog, 'Legs. _

**Haha! It sucks, because I stole it, BUT WHO CARES?! You get a joke and an update and I get some recognition! You know, I'm starting to feel like Snotlout's cowardice for not confessing is like **_**my**_** cowardice for not updating the story soon enough. Snotlout's internal constantly tells him voice: "Okay this time you're definitely telling him." My inner author voice is forever reminding me: "Okay, this time you're definitely updating sooner." **

**Commence the Responses: AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER.**

**As mentioned many times before, there is absolutely no swearing in my world.**

_**Chapter Nine: Mishap by Conception**_

_Ah...Berk. Boasting in the balmy, fun-in-sun climate that would give anyone frostbite on his or her spleen. The one upside was Berk's annual holiday. The Vikings called it Snoggletog. Why they chose such a stupid name forever remains a mystery. But what's to complain about? Because with the war long over...and the dragons living amongst the humans, along with a certain someone's fertility...this year's Snoggletog promises to be one to remember._

...

In the waking hours of the morning, the sun's rare, wee rays veiled over the village, causing every flake of ice to emulate back in its warmth and Cimmerians to scuttle back to their shadows. Not a soul was stirring, not even the hyper Terrible Terrors that were usually cotton to a morning romp.

But the clement rays of light failed to reach the crepuscular depths of the hill-isolated Haddock household, due to the planks of wood boarded at every window. Darkness entwined with every nook and cranny of the silent abode, a young couple lay asleep in its snug hold, lost in a world of dreams.

That is...until a very hyper Nightfury decided it'd be best to interrupt their slumber. A very large THUMP crashed through and ruptured the alleviating notes of quiet, causing the teenaged male and female to jolt awake.

Hiccup grudgingly opened his heavy emerald eyes and uncovered his face from the blanket just to affirm what he already knew. Toothless, wanting so desperately to take flight after his human had been cooped up in his little hovel during the storms, began a habit of jumping and clawing at the roof tiles to steal his rider's attention. He knew it would take a lot of convincing to lure the Viking from his protective burrow into the day. Often, it worked. Hiccup recovered himself while Astrid groaned in shared annoyance into the one pillow they had.

"Odin, Toothless... Again?" The boy murmured sleepily, turning over to his achy side to face his partner, his droopy eyelids reclining. "We just went yesterday...and it prevailed since we were caught in a _snowstorm," _he resuscitated after a rather impatient thump disturbed the ceiling, causing sawdust to sprinkle gently from the wooden rafters up above.

Astrid groaned and covered her ears in discomposure at the Nightfury's expectant and edged impetuosity of his human.

"Just go... Before...he wakes up your dad," The golden-haired girl murmured sleepily, mushing her face into the downy fabric as she curled in on herself.

Hiccup snorted. "My dad sleeps like Gobber on Dragon Nip. I don't believe Toothless having a spaz attack could wake him up." Another rumble from above. "In fact, when we had raids, I usually had to shake him awake. The screaming wasn't enough for him."

"Face it," the female Viking intoned sleepily. "He won't go unless you... *yawn* ...give in." Another rumbling thump from an impatient Toothless confirmed what she had established, and persuaded Hiccup to finally comply.

"Urg... Okay, okay," the young Viking assured with a weak wave of his hand as he shakily sat up, exposing himself from the warmth of he and Astrid's body heat to the chilly air. He wasn't worried about his drowsiness and how it should affect his air dynamics. After all, the stinging, unbearable cold should effectively shake him out of his dozy stupor, no problem.

Hiccup yawned tiredly, practically half asleep as he unconsciously groped for his helmet, which perched comfortably atop one of the wooden stakes of the bed. Placing it upon his head, the fourteen-year-old stood from the bed and stretched out his lean muscles, creating a soft pop as his joints nearly disjointed.

"Mmph. I'm gonna miss you," Astrid muttered tiredly, half-sarcastic, half-not.

"Aw, I'm loved," Hiccup replied, rolling his eyes. "Well, look on the bright side," he thoughtlessly murmured to the girl as he tugged on his furry vest. "At least you can spend more time with Stormfly while we're gone, right? And...Astrid?" The girl lazily lifted her head to face the boy, who stood stiffly at the door leading to the downstairs. "Take care of yourself," he told her softly.

Astrid's head flopped back down against the pillow, and made a sound that he couldn't differentiate from neither a moan nor scoff. Hiccup chuckled at her fettered moodiness and gave her a hesitant, quick kiss to the cheek before rushing downstairs to ease the dragon's nerves. "For the baby," he whispered to himself, and then called back up the stairs, "Give her plenty of chicken!"

Not waiting for a response, he trotted to the wooden door, entering the world of cold outside. The blast bite of icy air to the face did the trick, shocking the boy quite harshly out of his once sleepy stupor. "Oh, th-thundering Th-Thor, it's cold," he shivered, hugging himself as he rounded the corner of his house to meet the Nightfury, who perked at the sight of the youngling finally making an appearance.

_"Zhere you ah!"_

Easing a shaky smile onto his freckled face, the boy amusedly greeted, "W-Well hello there, Mr. Bossy."

Toothless couldn't help but warble in unconfined excitement._ "Eet's about time, youngling! Let zees be a lesson to zhou to __**nevah**__ ground a Nightfury." _

Hiccup attempted a mock warble to tease the dragon, and successfully did so. Toothless squinted as he hopped down from the roof to advise, _"En don't attempt to speak zee language of Dragonese. Zhou're quite terrible at eet. Ah suggest Yakenese. Or perhaps Sheepish, eef zhou're looking for en edge, jah?"_

Hiccup chuckled and shook his head, frantically rubbing his already frozen hands together to create friction. "Do you _really_ have to wake me up this early to go flyiiiiing-!" His inquired complaint was cut short and ended in a folly shriek, for he had slipped and fallen on his fraction-less metal foot when it had connected to the icy surface.

Luckily, Toothless was there to catch him with his muzzle before his rider's face became acquainted with the unforgiving ground. "GAH!" Hiccup righted himself and kicked out his left leg in annoyance. "Stupid leg," he muttered in exasperation, wobbling a bit more in unbalanced shakiness. Toothless crooned the boy and nudged him curiously, causing him to smile reassuringly. "No, no, no. It's-I'm alright. Thanks, Bud. We-We can go flying now."

The male youngling's soft, assuring yips soothed the dragon, and he perked._ "Good!" _Toothless breathed in his face, causing the young human to let out a sharp cry.

"Oh-What?! EW!" He groaned in disgust at the dragon's fishy breath and let out a shaky laugh as the reptile nudged him further. "Heh! Toothless!"

Minuets later, the famous duo of Berk were contentedly soaring in the clouds, dipping and diving and endeavoring dangerous air stunts that would instigate his father to faint from fear. Hiccup whooped and hollered as the wind rushed through his air. He'd missed this feeling almost as much as his dragon did; the unbounded freedom of being one with the sky was astounding. It was almost a shame he had to return to ground level at the end of it.

...

Back on Berk, Astrid took the chance of Toothless's overprotective absence to reconnect with her reptilian pet. She cautiously advanced Stormfly, who was nestled behind the house, her snout buried under her wings. A bright and tranquil smile on her face, Astrid delicately called out, "Stoooormfly?"

The Nadder lifted her head and squawked at the sight of the human approaching, her nostrils expanding. Normally, she would have steered clear of the youngling due to her current state without her mate nearby, but... What was that delightful aroma? The Nadder perked and got to her clawed feet, cocking her head to the side as she leaned forward to take in more of that smell of fowl.

"Yeah... Hey, girl," Astrid cooed, approaching gradually until she was a few mere feet from her dragon. With subtle, smooth actions, the young Viking removed her hand out from behind her back to reveal the tasty morsel. Stormfly stretched out her wings in enthusiasm and let out a small, eager screech.

_"Fahnally, ye came t' ye senses!"_

Her human let out an excited cry and she tossed the chicken leg into the air so that Stormfly could catch it with her beak and gobble it down. Astrid smirked, having easily won the Deadly Nadder back over.

"Yeah, 'atta girl," she fussed lovingly as Stormfly playfully nudged her beaked snout against her outstretched hand. "I knew you couldn't stay away for too long, right?" The Nadder squawked and didn't resist as her human's forelegs wrapped around her maw, pulling her into a nuzzle. "Neither could I."

_"So sorray about leavin' ye clueless fer th' past couple o' months," _Stormfly apologized, a trace of amusement in her warble._ "Ah thought ye'd understand about mah mate. Curious that yers isn't around t' protect ye end yer lettle one from th' otha dragons."_

"I missed you, Stormfly..." Of course, Astrid couldn't understand Dragonese, but judging by Stormfly's calm movements, she was buoyant that the reptile had relaxed in her presence.

Off in the distance, Astrid could hear the million years of fazed sleepiness finally eradicating from the tribesmen. Everyone was emerging from their protective domiciles, the dragons from their burrows, to greet the morning clouds and the preparations that had to be made.

The golden-haired girl beamed with a personal pride at the grand offering that had been built over the course of a week for Odin. A tree, yes. But not just a tree. A marvelous, awe-inspiring pine tree made entirely of painted planks of wood and unused weapons such as spears, shields, and even bolas and axes. She let out a chuckle as the younger children of the village began to play in the snow, shrieking with laughter, and she patted the Nadder's beak. "Whaddaya say, girl? Wanna help with the altar?"

The Nadder squawked and bumped her beak further into the cleft of Astrid's hand, still pensive over that lovely aroma of chicken her hands had implemented.

With a little chuckle, Astrid led her dragon through the snowy hill all the way down to the plaza. Upon doing so, she received a numerous amount of friendly stares and greetings. It wasn't anything she wasn't used to. In fact, strange as it be, she rather liked the attention she was attaining from the villagers. A few months ago, she would have most likely responded as sullen and hostile as a result of not quite fancying the idea of becoming a mother, but over time, even she had to admit to have fallen in love with the idea. That maybe she wouldn't _mind_ the idea of nourishing a child. Over the course of a couple of months, she'd grown comparatively attached to the young resting within her belly. The way her child kicked and moved about was a lovely feeling. There was, however, an unsettling feeling of dread that she couldn't strike away, no matter how much she tried.

"'G'day lass!" Mulch called out genially from his spot on the altar, lending a hand to the decorating of said offering. Astrid gave a wave and walked over to join the others.

"Hey Mulch," she casually responded, looking over the magnificent tree. "Wow. You guys really outdid yourself this year. It looks beautiful."

"And we're not even a third of th' way done!" He replied cheerfully. "Ey, Bucket, could ye hand me th-? No, NO! BUCKET! DON'T TOUCH-!" A loud crash was hurt in the distance and the chunky man looked sheepishly at now amused golden-haired girl. "Ah'll uh... Be right back!" And he waddled off.

"Astrid Haddock!" There was a polite nod and a genuine smile aimed in her direction from a woman atop a Gronkle hovering above. "Good t' see ye up en about with th' rest of us!" The girl smiled dryly and gave a curt nod back at Hillevi, one of the village seamstresses. The woman was one of the many who chortled over Hiccup's flaws in the bathhouse all those months ago.

"Morning Ma'am," she replied politely. "Love what you did with the weapons!"

"Tch. Es nothin' relly," the woman grinned modestly, leaning forward on the head of her dragon. "So... Where's Hiccup? He around?" Astrid blushed in spite of herself, blaming it on the biting cold. If she'd thought to have a reputation in the past, oh-ho! Now she was _recognized_. Perhaps not for the reasons she'd dreamt of, like becoming a well-known warrior, but recognized all the same. As the Chief's son's wife. Hm. She wasn't sure how she felt abut that.

"Actually, he's uh, with Toothless. Out flying!" She gestured dismissively toward the sky, as if it were unworthy of consideration.

Hillevi noticed her dismissive answer and smirked. "Ye aren't worried at all?" She inquired, resting her chin against her palm. "What weth th' cold weather en all?"

Well, of course she was, but when had it ever concerned Hillevi? Astrid crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at the older female. "What's it to you?"

Before Hillevi could answer, a much deeper and imperial voice entered the atmosphere. "'Ello there, Astrid!"

Oh, it was the Chief. Oh. ..._OH_! CHIEF! When had he gotten here? Astrid quickly righted herself and gave a polite nod to her father-in-law as he approached.

"Hi! Hi Chief!" She greeted, her voice oddly tight. "You're up and at 'em, hm?" Ever since she had taken note her mother's dramatic transmutation with the knowledge that Stoick had been the cause, she had been-not wary-but rather stiff around the vast man. It wasn't that she..._distrusted_ him, but his portrayal of extreme anger toward her mother led her to become discreet and intimidated of what he was capable of.

"Aye! What better way to connect with family than to-" He stopped suddenly, scrutinizing the girl. "Ye haven't seen Hiccup around, haven't you?" To Astrid's displeasure, Hillevi answered the question for her.

"Out weth his dragon of hes, Stoick!" Astrid slowly, threateningly turned her head, a scowl prominent on her face. Hillevi pretended not to notice.

Stoick failed to notice the young girl's anger and raised his eyebrows. "In this weather?" He sighed, shaking his head. "That boy sometimes; always off and getting into trouble. Tip me off if you seem him nearby, ay? Bucket's predicting a big storm approaching."

"Oh...Thor. _Another _one?" Astrid groaned in annoyance with a roll of her eyes. "That would be...what? The _third_ one this week?!"

"Exactly," Stoick agreed, equally disappointed. "We are all praying to Odin for a uneventful, peaceful Snoggletog, but it looks like this year's going to be a what Gobber would call a blunder," he sighed in discontentment, beholding the Viking children shrieking and playing in the snow. "Such a shame. We all had such hopes and high expectations. I wish it weren't true, but we have to trust the bucket. Rations need to be sorted and distributed, and we'll need everyone inside at some point when the clouds darken. So, tell me when Hiccup returns."

Off in the distance was the muffled sound of Bucket moaning in pain. _"But I don't want there to be a storm! AUGH! It HURTS!"_

Astrid awkwardly gave a lopsided grin and turned her attention back to her dragon. "Sure thing, Chief," she assured. "Don't you worry about a thing." Of course, she said it only for comfort, because he had a million things to worry about, being the leader and all.

"Good," he nodded in satisfaction, crossing his thick arms. The girl continued to rub Stormfly's beak and waited in a moment in silence for him to vacate the premises, only to find the man observing her in concern. "Did you need something, sir?"

The question seemed to surprise him. "Oh. No, no. I'm quite alright. How are... How are _you_ feeling, Astrid?"

The girl blinked. "Me?" She asked, squinting, and realized he was referring to her pregnancy. "OH! I'm fine!" She guaranteed, tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "I mean, I'm cold, but that's to be expected if you're a Viking, right?" Her smooth response didn't ease the man's concern.

"You sure?" He pressed, searching her for any sign of discomfiture. "Hiccup's informed me of your frequent morning sickness-"

"OKAY! That's-That's really not a problem, Sir," the girl chuckled inelegantly. _Hiccup_. "I'm totally fine. Really. Besides, the morning sickness ended a little while back. Hiccup's just worried about me. He always is. Morning sickness is practically the base of the iceberg. It's nothing I can't handle."

"Uh-huh." Stoick raised an eyebrow, completely unconvinced, and Astrid was a bit surprised to find a hint of amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Well," he murmured thoughtfully, glancing at her belly. "If you say so. Just pray to Odin and hope for the best." And with that, the vast man turned on his heels to meet up with his best friend, Gobber, who was busy handing out weapons.

Astrid blankly stared after him, uncertain if he was being serious or not. She instinctively rested a hand on her protruding belly and shivered. And then Stormfly nudged her, breaking the thoughtful spell. What Stoick had said-dare she admit it-worried her. But then again, he didn't know her as much as Hiccup did, and Hiccup- ...

She sighed, rubbing the space between her azure eyes. "Your anxiety is rubbing off on me, Hiccup," she groaned. Stormfly nudged her once again and she smiled woefully. "Sorry girl. I can't fly with you. It'd be too dangerous, even for me. For him-her-it... Whatever. C'mon. Let's see if we can help out around here."

Weeks of backbreaking labor had been rough on the tribesmen of Berk, but now they had a joyful reason to do so.

Snoggletog. A Viking holiday that nearly mirrored that _other_ European holiday, Christmas. From the giant tree, to Odin leaving goodies in their helmets, it was surely a festivity to the max.

To heighten the holiday spirit, even the dragons were lending a claw around town with the decorations and splendor. It was a wonderful sight to see. Stoick the Vast strolled proudly through his village with Gobber by his side, satisfied to know that everyone was chipping in to decorate the plaza to its brightest grandeur.

"By Odin's beard, Gobber!" Stoick bellowed heartily, slapping him on the back, "Vikings spending the winter holiday with _dragons_; what would our fathers say?"

"Why, they'd think we'd lost our minds," Gobber replied honestly, but cheerfully. "But could ye blame 'em, ol' friend?" He nodded towards a Gronkle that was currently playfully pinning down a tiny child for teasing him earlier. Fishlegs, who was up on a wooden ladder to help hang decorations, laughed. "Atta boy, Meatlug," he encouraged playfully.

Stoick beamed and let out a hearty guffaw at the endearing sight. It were at times like these when he was most relieved about the postwar, when it wasn't all about "kill or be killed". Now was a time for friendship, love, selflessness, and above all: family. Another reason to be exceedingly psyched for the holiday. For soon, Stoick the Vast would become a grandfather, a concept he never anticipated would associate with him. The concept of an extra set of footprints in his domain lifted his spirits to a high, and he couldn't be proud of his soon-to-be-father, son. "Alright!" He announced jovially to the crowd of Vikings that were surrounding the ginormous offering displayed for Odin. "Well done! All of you, well done!" He congratulated. "Now, I never thought I'd live to see this day. _Peace_, on the isle of Berk."

Astrid, amidst in the crowd of said Vikings, gave Stormfly an affectionate scratch under the chin, and the Nadder crooned happily.

"This will surely be the greatest holiday we have ever seen!" Stoick affirmed, emaciating his words with a large fist in the air.

As the Vikings around her cheered, Astrid let out a content sigh and consciously rested a hand over her large abdomen. _Agreed_. She'd grown quite a bit over the months and had to transform her attire to a more maternal liking to her young one. It wouldn't be long now. A few days at best. And then, she would finally meet the person who'd she and Hiccup had created. It would be a dangerous process, though. As if the cold weather was something they already had to watch out for she had to go into labor for...only Freya _knew_ how long. Ten hours? More? Gods and Goddesses help her. She would have dwelled deeper into it but...

...A deep rumble unpredictably arose from an unknown source, causing everyone to silence themselves and their hair to stand up on end from the sheer eeriness of it all. The dragons seemed most interested, lifting up their spiked, scaly heads to the clouds, Stormfly included.

"What...? What was that?" She whispered in confusion.

A throaty, reptilian screech then emitted from somewhere in the sky, causing everyone to glance upwards and gasp.

Gobber hobbled a few steps forward. "What in Thor's name?" He breathed, his eyes nearly doubling in size.

All of the Vikings could see that an amass crowd of dragons had begun to take flight and were soaring overhead by the hundreds. By the _thousands_. Everyone was stumped, unmoving and unspeaking. That is, until the dragons started to react.

Astrid's azure eyes widened in surprise and Stormfly roughly tore herself from the girl's grip, her pupils dilating into slits. That wasn't a good sign. Even more so that these airborne reptiles weren't Berkian. None of them were. While the same species as the dragons residing on the small island, _these_ were completely unfamiliar. And then, without warning, the villagers' dragons began to join them. One by one, the dragons spread out their array of wings and took to the sky and amassed.

"Wait! What are doing?" She heard a very distraught Snotlout shout out in the distance, and she could see that Hookfang had joined them, leaving Snotlout to dangle on the rooftop.

"Where are you going?!" Another person cried out as a Zippleback took flight. And then a Gronkle. And then a flock of Terrible Terrors. And then another Monstrous Nightmare. All forcefully flapping their wings as if they had never wanted anything more than to join the reptilian flock in the clouds. But why?!

"Where-?! What's happening?!"

"What's going on?!" Everyone was stumbling backward, trying to catch a glimpse of what was transpiring in the cloudy sky. Others clung to their draconic pets, pleading with them to remain where they were.

Fishlegs in particular seemed extremely distressed. He gasped; drawing his chunky shoulders up in the process does he realize the gravity of the situation. "AH! Meatlug!" He shrieked hysterically, and then darted away into the crowd, presumably to try and stop his beloved pet from abandoning him.

Astrid looked around wildly before noticing in horror that Stormfly had trotted over to the edge of the cliff, and with no hesitation, was about to take off. The girl's heart lurched at the prospect and a lump appeared in her throat.

"No no no no, Stormfly! Don't go!" She begged, desperately running towards the winged reptile with her toned arms outstretched. It was futile. Stormfly had taken flight before she could even finish her sentence.

"...Please?" Astrid finished with a small, embarrassing whimper as her pet became a statistic, and glanced back over her armored shoulder to stare in trepidation at the chaos. The dragons were all rapidly taking off by the numbers, no matter what the villagers did to try and stop them. Not that there was much they could do anyway.

And then it hit her like a axe handle to the fleshy gut. "Where's Hiccup?" She breathed, turning back towards the colorless sky in a fit of panic, desperately searching for the black dot in the mass of winged reptiles she had grown so familiar with. What if Toothless was among them? He had to be among them. He had to be.

To her utter relief, a blob, a mass of midnight entered her line of sight, and perched atop was her husband. Helmet-less, she realized, but nonetheless, safe. It concerned her when she noticed that he looked just as panicked and confused as she did.

As soon as Toothless landed, he jumped off and wasted no time in rushing over to her. "Astrid!" He cried. Just as she presumed, he looked just as distressed as she was. Probably even more.

"Hiccup, what's going on? Where are they going?" Astrid inquired, desperately waving towards the sky, where the dragons were drifting further and further away. "What's going on?"

"I-I don't-!" He started, but she could hardly hear him over the deafening sound of hundreds of Vikings rushing towards them. To her annoyance, she was roughly jostled aside as everyone tried to squeeze in close and began firing questions at the poor boy.

"Hiccup!? Where-?"

"_There_! Ye can answer-!" A man shouted before being trampled by the crowd.

"Why did they leave?!"

"What's happening?!" A woman cried, her eyes wide with fear.

_"What ef they nevah come back?!"_ A distressed man wailed.

Hiccup held up his small, freckled hands in defense, as if the sheer amount of pressure was pushing him backwards as the Vikings closed in. "Wha-? Stop, wait!" He protested, heart pounding dramatically.

With every upside of being the great "Dragon Conqueror" of the Scandinavian archipelago, there was a downside. Whenever there was a problem, no matter how big or small, everyone would come running to him. Literally. And sometimes... He was just unable to answer said questions.

To his relief, Stoick the Vast himself shoved his way though the panicked crowd, shouting, "Stop! Give him a chance to speak!" When he finally shoved away the last Viking to get to his son, Hiccup could then see how distressed his father was. It was understandable, of course. Devastating Winter was upon them and Snoggletog, a holiday about spending time with the family, was supposed to lift the villagers' spirits. And now with the dragons gone, everyone was visibly crestfallen.

That's why it killed Hiccup to respond with a very helpless and very pitiful, "Dad... I don't know." It hurt him even more to watch his dad sigh in disappointment, eyes connecting to the ground.

A warm caress to his shoulder brought back the feeling to his numb body and he shared a gloomy look with Astrid. Judging by the expression on her face, he could presume that Stormfly was one of the many to leave, and he gave her an apologetic look.

Not a moment later, a panicked screech stole everyone's attention, and they all turned back to the cliff to stare at where Toothless looked on helplessly with Stormfly hovering above.

_"Come on, Toothless!" _The Deadly Nadder screeched, flapping her wings with great resistance as instinct commanded her to leave. _"Ah know ye can do et! Jist-jist see ef ye can-!"_

_"I cahn't!" _The Nightfury wailed in sorrow._ "I cahn't fly witzhout my rider, zhou know! Just go!"_

_"But-! Men jag behöver det för att titta på barnen!"_

_"Go!" _Toothless whined sadly, flopping down on his scaly belly. _"Ah'm so very sorry, Stormfly. Godspeed."_

...

Later that night, every villager met in the Great Hall to discuss of the shocking situation that had transpired earlier.

It was clear by then that the dragons would not be returning that day and most likely the next. But even with their reptilian allies gone, Stoick assured with confidence that even though they had no idea where the dragons had gone off to, they had to have faith that they would be back again soon. And nobody should wallow in any sort of depression. After all, they had spent generations upon generations of celebrating the winter holiday without dragons, and there was no reason why they couldn't do it again.

But even with Stoick's heartwarming speech about getting up and fighting back against the sadness, the six teens found themselves doing just the opposite as they dragged themselves along outside into the cold night air.

"Well, that was depressing," Ruffnut grumped, arms hanging limply at her side.

"I know!" Astrid agreed with a saddened sigh. "After all those months of Toothless acting like a nut-no offense, Hiccup-I was actually looking forward to spending the winter holiday with Stormfly."

Snotlout was especially depressed. His own Monstrous Nightmare, Hookfang, had been one of the many to disappear into the foggy atmosphere with the rest of the dragons. He said nothing. Burly arms crossed at his chest. Chocolate eyes trained on the frosty ground.

Fishlegs on the other hand-and it shocked the other teenagers-seemed almost...chipper. Whistling nonchalantly and doing this funny little hop with each step. Tuffnut noticed his odd demeanor and questioned it. "What're you so happy about?" He asked almost accusingly, "Don't you miss _Meatlug_?"

"Me?!" The question could've been an axe, cutting through and shattering Fishlegs' lively attitude like it would through forged sandstone. He froze like Finn in the eyes of a Flightmare, and then as if realizing that his mistake, changed his mood entirely into an unconvincing sadness.

"Oh, o-oh yeah!" He gave an unconvincing sniff, wiping away false tears. "I miss him so much!" After taking note that everyone was staring at him awkwardly, he quickly shuffled away with a rapid, "Well, goodnight!" As the distance between him and the group increased, he broke into a slight jog and disappeared into the night.

"Oh! I have an idea!" Astrid gasped suddenly, as if the Fishlegs incident hadn't transpired at all. She jogged a few pieces ahead of them and clasped her hands together with a big, toothy smile on her face. "Why don't we come up with a bunch of new holiday traditions?" She suggested. Everyone gawked at her in confusion. "You know, to bury the sadness!" Hiccup winced. He lo-...like-liked Astrid, a lot, but her unchecked, unplanned ideas could be just as destructive as his own he conjured on impulse.

The teens all huffed gloomily, clearly uninterested, and Astrid blinked in surprise at their uncooperativeness before shooting Hiccup a look. He sighed._ "That's my cue."_

"Actually, I think Astrid may be onto something," he offered the girl. She smiled back with thanks, but Tuffnut just scoffed.

"Easy for you to say," he sneered, gesturing upward towards the cliff or Toothless lay longingly. He was staring out towards the sea in the direction the dragons had all flown away. "Your dragon can't go anywhere without you."

Ruffnut turned her nose in the air and stomped away with a condescending mutter, "Must be nice."

Hiccup visibly flinched at her words and gazed up at Toothless sorrowfully, even as the rest of the teens began to file out, excepting Astrid.

Hiccup sympathized for the lonesome Nightfury. It must be hard to be separated from your own species, your own kind, and your own _mate_. The loneliness he must have been feeling. Hiccup was so lost in thought that he barely felt the feminine yet callused hand softly rest upon his bony shoulder.

"You okay?" Astrid asked quietly, her breath tickling his neck. Hiccup blushed profusely. He hadn't realized how close she was until then.

"I-I'm alright," he replied, dodging her gaze. "It's Toothless who I'm concerned about. I mean, look at him!" Astrid sighed, squeezed his shoulder comfortingly, and stepped before him to make eye contact.

"I think he needs some time alone. Do you want to get back to the house?" She asked, predicting what his answer would be.

"Actually, why don't you go without me?" Hiccup suggested politely, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think I'll... I think I'll chill out here." He smirked half-heartedly. "Not literally."

"For your own safety," she agreed, adjusting the seams on his tunic, causing him to redden. "Don't get too comfy." She paused, hands resting at his shoulders and she breathed, her breath evaporating in the freezing air. Hiccup sucked in a breath, waiting. For a moment, it seemed that Astrid was going to say something, but she righted herself and smiled just as half-heartedly. "I'll...see you around, 'kay Hiccup?" And with that, she lightly punched his shoulder and sped-walked into the night, leaving the young boy to wonder.

...

As Astrid lay awake in the bed she had shared alone for the first time since her marriage, a feeling of set determination overtook her conscious like it never had before. Sure, the holiday had floundered a bit in terms of spirit, but it was nothing she couldn't fix. At least, within her group of friends, correct? Her countenance could not un-frown itself as she thought of her miserable acquaintances.

_"I need to come up with something that people will use generations from now,"_ the girl thought to herself,_ "And they'll look back and say, "Now THAT was ingenious.""_

She chuckled. She should, shouldn't she? It'd be impressive to say the least, and Hiccup would definitely be dazzled.

Hiccup.

What _was_ that little pause she's initiated earlier? There was no need for it, and she certainly had no intention, did she? It was just...a moment, is all. One of those awkward, quiet moments that popped out of nowhere. One of those moments that seem to spring up between them every now and again in the middle of their conversations, because of her.

"It was nothing," she told herself in dismissal. She paused, staring blankly into the dark. "It's my mood, that's all. Changing like a Changewing in a pascal flower garden. Heh. Heh." She realized she was talking to herself and laughing like she was giddily nervous. "...What is wrong with me?"

Her emotions were apparently riding the loop-de-loop of transitions. She possessed this odd, one-sided love that she knew not of how to express, balance, or even convey. Sometimes she felt great, and other times she could drive an axe into someone's throat. She understood that it was all part of the process, but it didn't mean that she was capable of handling it on her own, something she would never admit to herself.

Out of habit, the female Viking lay a hand on her large belly and gazed at it, and unknown feelings crept up her spine. "I'd understand if it's nervousness, but fear? Ha! That'll be the day." Her gaze drifted to the walls that were completely covered by Hiccup's strategic designs for gadgets and sketches of dragons, people... He was so creative, and ever since she'd witnessed just what he was capable of, she felt envy.

"Jealousy. Alright, I admit it," she stated, turning over on her back, gazing up at the ceiling, her mind transitioning to Toothless. ...And Stormfly. Her heart lurched and she closed her azure eyes. Just earlier today she was jovially decorating the altar with her reptilian friend, the prospect of soon becoming a mother fresh and beautiful in her mind. Now everything was darker, harsher, and downright gloomy.

"Everything's happening so quickly," she murmured. "Way too quickly. First, my mother stops talking to me. My dad can't even look at me now. My dragon just-just up and leaves!" She turned over on her side, her body curling up on itself.

"Devastating Winter is going to be a disaster, and I'm going to be a mother! A Gods-forsaken _mother_!" She yelled, not worrying or caring the least bit about the volume of her voice, or where the transition had started. After all, she was alone. "I can't be a mother yet! I can't-I don't think I...NO!" She stopped to rub the space between her eyes. It seemed like all the months were finally catching up to her in one file swoop.

"Thor knows I would never say this in front of anyone, but... I don't think I'm ready." She swallowed, unable to cope with the fact of the upcoming pain that was to come. "I don't think I'll ever be. Gods, I just-" The girl clamped a hand over her mouth, shoulders going taut as her eyes began to burn and her face to warm. Her trembling hands felt clammy. "I don't think I can do this! Not yet! I-I can't! Not me-NO!"

"Actually, I think you _can_," a familiarly nasal, quiet voice put in.

Hiccup. Oh, Odin _above_.

Astrid gasped and flipped over in discomfiture, rapidly wiping away what would have caused her face to become a tear-painted canvas. "Hiccup!" She greeted breathlessly, sitting up straighter than her body would normally allow her, brushing her golden bangs out of her runny eyes. "I thought you were at the-the... I thought you weren't coming back!" She stuttered almost accusingly. Wait, since when did Astrid Hoff-... Since when did she ever stutter? Since when? "Were you spying on me?"

"Oh, no! I wasn't...spying!" He chuckled nervously, eyes flickering to the side in an obvious attempt to dodge her gaze. "I was coming back to inform that, well, I'd be, uh, at the Forge for the night. To work on something." Hiccup was at the entrance, half out. He was just visible in the murkiness of the night. Hopefully, he had just arrived and missed most of her rant. He smiled kindly and moved over in that stiff manner of his to sit beside her, the bed creaking slightly under their combined weight. "Are you...worried about it?" He didn't need to specify. They both knew what he was talking about.

"W-Worried? Me?" She laughed nervously. Again, when did that ever-? "It depends. On how much you heard."

Hiccup shrugged his scrawny shoulders sheepishly. "All of it?" He ventured, twiddling his fingers.

Oh.

"Then..." She squeezed her eyes shut, body tensing as she forced out her answer. "Then yes. Okay? Happy? Satisfied? I'm worried. Very worried," she rushed, a lump forming in her throat. "I know I shouldn't. I shouldn't! I don't want to be, but... Gods, Hiccup. I know I have to put on a brave face for this, but _Freyja! _It's-It's _birth_! Do you have any idea what childbirth is like?!"

"...No, not...particularly," he apologized.

"Well, I do!" She snapped. "And believe me when I tell you: it's horrifying! Is it supposedly beautiful? Does it signify new life? Well, yyyeah! But-But not when it's happening to me!" She clasped her hands together to disguise the shakiness they'd obtained. "You see, I never expected that I'd be the one screaming in pain for ten to twelve hours! I never expected it to be so terrifying! It's something that's clearly out of my control and I can't do _anything_ about it. Nothing! Absolutely nothing! And you know how I feel about something being out of my control. I hate it!"

She was breathing heavily now, on the verge of tears. Her eyes burned, the salty liquid close to overflowing. No. Wait, no! She couldn't. Not now. Not here. Not now. Not-...Not _now_. Please. No. Thor, no! _Please! "_And it's-*sob*- it's soon! It's happening! I-" She let out a choking cry, and the next thing she knew was her own face mushing into his collarbone and he was whispering over and over about how sorry he was and how she was the bravest girl he'd ever met and how he knew that nothing was going to happen to her. And the whole time she cried like-like some girl. A scared little girl.

"It's okay," he whispered, pulling her close to him as her body wracked with sobs. "You're going to be fine, Astrid. I'm gonna be there with you-"

"No!" She cried through clenched teeth, her fingers digging into his scalp. "It's not just the birth; it's everything afterward too! Who's to say I would ever make a fit mother? What if-What if something bad happens?! You don't understand-!"

"I do!" He cried, interrupting her harangue. "I get it! I understand! You're afraid of getting hurt, the baby getting hurt, and you're afraid of what I'll think-I understand fear, Astrid!" He was on the verge of ranting himself, his nerves out of whack as he gasped for air. "I understand what it's like to be afraid, and there's nothing wrong with it! Nothing, Astrid, nothing!"

The girl sniffed as his unexpectedly tight grip clenched her temporarily un-armored shoulders, his cat-like emerald eyes boring into her azure ones. "You...are the bravest person I have ever-EVER met," he told her quietly. "You've-You've been through-What you've been through is beyond scary-it really is. And the fact that you've made it this far just proves how strong you are, Astrid."

The golden-haired girl smiled through her embarrassing tears, and she snorted. "Man, y-you're sappy," she joked as an attempt to lighten the mood.

Hiccup's jaw went agape. "Wha-? Oh c'mon. You started it!" Astrid barked out a pathetic, nerve-wracked laugh and sunk her face into her trembling palms.

"Oh-Oh, Freyja, Hiccup. I think-I think..." She trailed off, unable to speak as another heaved sob wracked her frame. Hiccup placed a hand upon her back and gently massaged in little circles, feeling so crestfallen at his wife's hysteria. If only there was something he could do to uplift her mental pain completely. She laughed again, wiping her eyes. "This is SO embarrassing." She chortled. "I'm- _crying_ my eyes out in front of my own husband! St-Stupid hormones!"

"It's understandable," he assured, pulling the girl into another embrace, one to which she did not resist that time.

Together they rocked, back and forth to gain an easing rhythm to lessen the panicky nerves that had invaded Astrid's psyche. "I get it. It's okay to cry, Astrid," he murmured into her ear as she whimpered. "I don't care-I don't mind if you do. And if you want me to be honest, I'm... I'm scared too. I get it."

"...Yeah, I-I don't doubt it," Astrid snickered through the river of tears, burying her face into his scrawny neck. "Gods, Hiccup. I've never been this-_this_ scared. You know how dangerous Devastating Winter is for newborns. If he-or she doesn't make it... I...I don't know what I'll do."

"Astrid," Hiccup spoke suddenly with a firm fervor of tone. He placed his digits underneath her chin and tilted her face upward to look at him. "That baby may be mine, but it's yours too. He-She, is strong. Like you."

"Like me," Astrid repeated, swallowing hard. "Right."

"Exactly," he murmured, resting his con on her shoulder. "You know...we haven't thought of names."

Astrid shut her azure eyes and leaned into him. "Can we please not get our hopes up?" She intoned softly. "I don't want to be too disappointed."

Her words shocked Hiccup. "Are you already giving up?" He asked slowly.

Astrid bit her bottom lip, rethinking her words. "No, I'm not. But I just-I don't want to have high expectations for something that will most likely result in tragedy."

"You're giving up?"

"Hiccup..."

"You're giving up," he concluded, shaking his head. "You can't."

"Oh, for the love of Freyja, I'm not!" Astrid groaned, wiping at her eyes whilst her normally pale complexion burned with shame. "I'm playing it safe. Something _you_ should be very thankful for, Mr. Act-on-Impulse!" She paused, all-too aware that he'd gone stiff. "Look, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm not saying I'm convinced that our baby isn't gonna make it, because I'm hoping that he-she, will. I swear. I just don't want to be...I don't know. I don't think "rejected" is the right word, but I'd feel like such a failure."

"I know that," Hiccup assured his partner, nuzzling her sweetly. "You've made it clear as day from the very beginning that you're not one to give up. You'll be okay and the baby will be too. Your strength is in its blood." Granted that he was the one comforting her, the fact that _she_, Astrid, was _scared_, planted a seed of dread in the pit of his stomach. If the fearless, axe-wielding shield maiden was frightened of the birth, then he was downright terrified. Not panicked, but nonetheless terrified. But since he had a talent of hiding his emotions, it didn't show.

"Just, *sniff* please don't tell any of the other riders or your dad, okay? I don't fancy people babying me because they're convinced that I'm freaked out."

"But..." Hiccup mused. "You ARE freaked out."

"Ah, but they don't need to know that, do they?" Astrid reminded him, poking his chest with a pointed expression. The last of her tears were finally beginning to dry. "Just...keep it quiet, and I'll make it up to you."

"Hmm." Hiccup rubbed his chin thoughtfully and smirked. "Okay. I'll need a new set of charcoal utensils, ten jars of squid ink, a contraption made entirely of metal scraps-"

"I'm not _bribing_ you, you moron!" Astrid deadpanned, giving his shoulder a good smack, which sent him toppling over on his side in a fit of laughter.

"You wouldn't subject yourself to bribery even for me?" He feigned sadness, batting his eyelashes at her with pitiful, puppy-dog eyes. The girl merely shook her head in amusement and collapsed next to him, only to find herself wrapped up in his protective hold once more. Astrid huffed, blowing a few start bangs out of her eyes as she shifted.

"This is something you do often, huh?" She mused when his grip loosened. "Hugging me?"

"O-Oh! I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't realize-!" She heard him fumbling about, trying to untangle their limbs. Frowning, she shifted her body to flush against the male, causing him to pause. "A-Astrid?" He whispered.

"I didn't say I minded!" She pointed out, reaching behind her to search for his arms-There! "Now, c'mon-"

He jolted. "GAH! U-Uh, Astrid?" Hiccup gasped just as the girl was realizing her mistake. "That's not my..."

"Wha-? Oh, _Thor_! THOR! Just hug me already! Jeez..." Hiccup happily complied over his last few shaken seconds and embraced her once more, pressing her limp body against his own.

"You sure you'll be okay?" The young male joked, snuggling his freckled face into her golden hair. Mm. Odin, don't let her move. She smelt of fresh pine.

Astrid flipped over her body with valiant effort so that she could face him in the chilled darkness. "Yeah, sure. Just don't get too excited," she shrugged coolly, and Hiccup had to smile warmly at her reoccurred carefree attitude.

Chuckling softly under her breath, the girl slid her toned arms upward so that they hooked around his scrawny neck, locking them together. "But yeah, I feel a lot better now that you're here."

Hiccup blinked, face reddening bash fully at her compliment. "And you said _I_ was the sappy one?" He muttered faintly, trying to keep his threads of sanity from snapping as she gently rested her forehead against his. They were so close that they could feel the slight pulse of their beating hearts thumping against each other's ribcage.

"Mm." She didn't answer, just remaining still with a big smirk on her face as he squirmed. It was almost as if she were purposely denying him of- ...Well. Two could play at that game.

Without warning, Hiccup smashed his slightly chapped lips against the girl's, causing her face to redden to a deep scarlet and her heart to pound against her chest like it never had before. Oh, oh! When had Hiccup grown so...so bold? His small, spidery hands cupped her burning cheeks as he found himself straddling her waist and he began to French kiss her.

Astrid didn't think her face could burn any hotter. She and Hiccup had always refrained from intimate things like this, so why was he starting now?

And just as soon as it had started, it ended. Hiccup released her lips from his with a soft pop and abruptly maneuvered himself off of the wooden bed, quickly heading for the exit that lead downstairs. "Well, that was fun and all," he briskly said, brushing his longish auburn bangs out of his eyes with the biggest smirk Astrid had seen him wear. "But I _did_ say I needed to go to the Forge and work on a new project, soooo, au revoir!" And with that, he disappeared into the darkness, his footsteps audible as he trotted down the stairs.

Astrid sat up with a start, dazed, messy and disheveled from their most recent embrace. She stared open-mouthed and wide-eyed before glaring murderously at his retreating form. "Oh, _mature_," she seethed, yearning to drag the male by his ear back to bed.

She supposed his plan was to exit mysteriously into the night, but a clumsy stumble followed by a large crash concerning of metal fire pokers and a high-pitched shriek broke the ambience. He was just lucky it stopped her from hunting him down, and she stifled a mischievous laugh. _"That's what you get for running in the dark,"_ she thought in amusement, listening as he stumbled out the door, moaning in pain.

The Viking flopped on her back, staring at the rafters as a chill crept up her spine, causing her to shiver involuntarily. The worry remained as flaunt as ever, but it had settled somehow. She grinned, wrapping the quilted blanket around her form and closed her eyes, fatigue finally overtaking her exhausted form. That was the kind of effect Hiccup had on her. He cared. He... He _cared_.

So, what was he going off to do? What could be so important that he had to do it right away rather than just wait for tomorrow? _"It's gotta be for Snoggletog,"_ she concluded. _"Hm. Well, I suppose I should whip up something to lift everyone's spirits while I'm at it, right? No harm, no foul."_

...

The following morning...

Just as Astrid had suspected the previous night, the Vikings of Berk were very worn down and gloomy, the children especially. Completely in sync with the dismal weather, everyone needed a bit of spirited guidance, and voilà!

In the center of town, she took note of three young children in the process of creating a Snow-Gronkle. It would've normally looked like a joyous activity for the festive season, but the crestfallen expressions on their little red-from-the-cold faces was something that violently tugged at her heartstrings. So, she thought with a newfound determined fervor, that she would personally try and lift their spirits. It was the least she could do. So...

"Yaknog!" She announced cheerfully, strolling through the area with a light spring in her step. "Get yer Yaknog! C'mon, get a frothy, delicious cup of cheer!"

In the girl's toned arms sat her very own creation, resting comfortably on a spare shield she'd dug out from a trunk of Hiccup's. And resting upon said makeshift platter was a wooden pitcher along with two mugs. Inside said mugs? Well. She called it Yaknog. What dwelled inside remains a mystery even to this day.

It didn't take long for her to spot the other teens lounging somewhere near the plaza. With a big grin on her face, she rushed over to them and thrust of the shield. "Hey you guys!" She greeted. "I've been thinking. You were all feeling down last night and looked like you could use some cheer-upping." She didn't notice the twins wrinkling their noses. "Check out my new drink I made for the holidays."

Tuffnut leaned forward and took a whiff through his runny nose. The effect was instantaneous. "UGH!" He blanched, backing away in horror from the pitcher. "What is that smell?" He turned to his sister. "Is that you?!" He snapped, shoving her aside.

"It's _Yaknog," _Astrid grinned, comically oblivious to the teen's utter disgust. She plucked the large wooden pitcher from its spot on the shield and poured its contents into one of the mugs.

Tuffnut stared at the sludge in disbelief and retched. What in Thor's name was that? It was a froth, a sludge, a swamp of something foul and hairy and downright revolting. Tuffnut clamped a hand over his nose as his nostrils began to burn. She didn't really expect them to _drink_ that, did she?

"Blech," he gagged, backing away. "If I drink _that,_ I'm going to yak Nog up all over the place."

Astrid bristled and set the mug back in its place. "Oh, really? Maybe you'd...rather taste a punch to the face?" She sneered through a gritted smile. Did Tuffnut honestly need to nitpick and criticize? So her drink wasn't mead, she understood perfectly. But this was her special creation that she fashioned specifically to lighten the mood. It angered her to find that someone was rejecting her offer already.

But to her surprise, Snotlout stepped forward with an uncharacteristically kind (or flirtatious) smile on his face and said, "Astrid, it sounds delightful." He grasped one of the holders. "I would love a mug."

Because Astrid shot Tuffnut a smug grin, she missed the transaction of Snotlout taking a gulp of her drink, his eyes widening in horror as he realized his mistake, and the process of him forcing it down his throat. "Oh," he gagged hoarsely, placing the mug back in its place. "You- *ulp* Yep! You can really taste the yak."

"Finally," Astrid smirked, "Someone gets it."

"Ooh! Yum!" Fishlegs rushed forward out of nowhere, accidentally knocking down Ruffnut as he made his way before Astrid. "What is that?" He exclaimed, looking genuinely hyped.

"Oh! Do you want to try some? She asked excitedly, once again oblivious as Snotlout snuck up behind her and shook his head as a warning in advance to the stockier boy. "It's my new, traditional drink!"

Fishlegs thankfully got the hint and chuckled nervously, putting his hands behind his back as he replied, "Oh, you know, I have suddenly and, uh inexplicably changed m-my mind." He gave the unknown substance a cautious look. What was _in_ that?

"Well," Astrid huffed in slight annoyance, whipping her golden hair to the side. "You don't know what you're missing." She pressed, sauntering away with at least the satisfaction that _someone_ had tried her drink. "I'll bet Hiccup will like this."

As she vacated the premises, Ruffnut peered over at Snotlout, who was doubling over in stomach pains, and sneered mischievously. "Are you _crying_?" She cackled, slapping the burly make on the backside, causing him to retch.

"N- *ulp*" Snotlout covered his mouth with both hands and surveyed the area wildly. "I'm gonna throw up."

Since the Forge was close in range to the plaza itself, it didn't take long for Astrid to make her way over. "Hiccup?" She called out as she entered the little shop. She shivered jovially, the heat blasting from the central furnace comfortingly warm as it defrosted her frozen skin. No wonder Hiccup spent the night here. It was warmer here than it was in the Great Hall!

"Yeah, over here Astrid. Comin'," Her partner called back, sounding tired but at the same time, satisfied.

"Here," Astrid offered with a smile as he approached. "Happy holidays from me to you." Hiccup grinned and took the mug without question.

"Thank you, milady," he thanked her formally. "I take your feeling better?" He presumed, raising the mug to his lips.

Astrid flushed and turned her attention to his project that lay on the wooden bench. "Much better, thanks. So what're you up to? New crazy bola launcher, or are those out of season?" She stared at the device. It looked very articulate.

Hiccup laughed and set down the mug on the bench before explaining, "Okay you're going to think I'm crazy, but..." he sighed. "I just couldn't stop thinking about what Tuffnut said last night. Toothless can't come and go like Stormfly and the other dragons, and that's...just not fair." He grasped the contraption to show her what exactly he had made. When he opened one portion of the new tail-fin, the other half would follow suit in perfect sync. "Yeah, so I was up all night and I think I've come up with something to fix that."

Astrid gaped at the contraption in disbelief. "No way!" She breathed, completely oblivious to the fact that Hiccup had just taken a large sip of her drink and was now looking around wildly, trying to figure out a way to expel the sludge in his mouth by neither throwing up nor swallowing. "You built him a new tail?"

"Mm-hmm!" Hiccup gurgled, looking around wildly for a basin-anything! Anything to get rid of the vile taste!

"So he's to be able to fly without you... Wow," she mused. "What a great gift." Well, at least she hadn't noticed his distressed state.

"Mm-hmm." Hiccup almost lurched, his cheeks bulging outward with the stuff. He set the mug back down and tried to act natural.

Astrid frowned, deep in thought. "What if he doesn't come back?" She murmured.

"...Mmm." Hiccup stole a glance at her, his mood dimming considerably at the likely prospect.

Astrid caught herself and laughed. "Pssh, what am I saying?" She said coolly. "Of course he will."

"Mm-hmm!" Hiccup replied, not meeting her eyes. Oh Odin, please let her leave so that he may expel his tortured mouth of this _bile_.

Thankfully, Odin must have been in a very good mood, because Astrid then said, "Well, I'm going to spread some more holiday cheer!" And she rushed out with an impressive speed for her state. "You're amaziiiing!"

After making sure that she was gone, Hiccup wasted no time. "BLAAAAACH!" He spat, wiping his mouth clean if the Yaknog as best he could. "Oh-Urgahuhhh..." What. In. Odin's-? Well, then again, Odin _did_ technically save his life there. Go Odin. Alright, he'd officially developed a fear of mugs.

That blasted mug had led him to fatherhood, to the drinking of animal innards, and... _Yaknog_. Thor's hammer. Gods help the poor souls who had drunk the bile before him.

He gazed down at his device with a conflicted expression and ran a finger over the metallic surface. Should he really take the risk and give it to his best friend?

Like Astrid had questioned the dragon's return, Hiccup was beginning to think the same. But this was Snoggletog. A time of selflessness, not selfishness! He couldn't be selfish. No. He had to think of Toothless. How would he like to be cooped up somewhere on an island where all of his people have gone up and left without him? He exhaled loudly and picked up the tail-fin. He wouldn't last a week.

_"But for what it's worth,"_ the young male thought to himself, _"Toothless can take care of himself if he does leave. Besides, I have bigger fish to fry, like for once I have to be solely focused on this-the mishap by mug."_

...

Toothless had abandoned his cliff and dropped back to his old habits of jumping feverishly on the roof. It was his way of begging-nay-demanding, for a flight with his rider.

So Hiccup and Astrid weren't surprised when they found him there once again, oblivious to the fact that his human had already vacated the abode long before he had begun his morning romp on the roof.

"C'mon down, Toothless!" He called out, gaining the Nightfury's full attention. Astrid kept her distance, close enough to survey the scene in curiosity but distant enough to remain wary of the moody Nightfury. "I got you something for ya!"

The midnight reptile leapt down from the roof and approached his human excitedly. _"Ah zhou taken me to see mah mate?"_ He warbled happily before noticing the bundle in Hiccup's arms. He took a few deeps sniffs in curiosity. "_Ees zat yer young? Eet smells rather metallic."_

"What do you think of that?" Hiccup grinned, "Yeah!" He walked to the back end of the dragon, which only led to a tiny game of chase before the Nightfury calmed.

Astrid brushed her golden bangs out of her eyes and watched with a smile as her husband pinned down Toothless's tail. "Would you just-settle down!" The boy laughed. "Toothless! C'mon, bud. Lemme get this on ya." Removing the old tail-fin that he and Toothless had grown accustomed to, he replaced it with the new version, strapping in the parts readily and securely.

Toothless lifted a dark wing and crooned in puzzlement,_ "Vat exactly do zhou zink zhou're doing?"_

"Yeah," Hiccup breathed, unaware of his pet's growing suspicion. "You're going to love this." He patted the contraption and nodded in secure satisfaction. "There we go," he muttered, just before Toothless went _ballistic_.

One moment the dragon was stilled, the next he was whipping his tail from side-to-side, gnashing his teeth that had popped out like switchblades._ "Vat ees zis?!" _He roared, ignoring his human's yips and cries. _"Have zhou forgotten mah inability to fly?! How een Germania am Ah supposed to-?!"_

Another solid whip to the side and the contraption's portrayal of its capability made itself known to the reptile. His eyes widened and he warbled,_ "Nien, vait. Ees eet-?" _He folded his remaining half of a tail-fin to discover that the artificial part copied the movement. _"Eet ees! But, how es eet possible?! Wie ist das möglich? Das kann nicht wahr sein!"_

Hiccup took a deep breath and shot a worried glance at Astrid, who was poised and ready to defend herself. Forcing an unstable smile into his face, he whispered, "Yeah. Got it? Not bad..." Toothless opened and closed the tail a few more time before his pupils dilated.

Astrid sucked in a breath as her heart sank. It was the same instinctual look that she had seen in Stormfly's eyes before the Nadder took off.

The Nightfury locked eyes with his human, reptilian jade trained on mammalian emerald. Hiccup dared not breathe as they eyed each other down. But finally, after taking a courageous yet tentative step forward, Hiccup reached out with the softest voice he could utter. "Toothless?"

The Nightfury reared back as if he had been slapped, causing Hiccup to freeze in fear. Time seemed to stand still, and even the cold air dissipated, leaving on the three conflicting creatures in its wake. Astrid immobilized her body as well, using her years of training as an advantage to then sneak around to near Hiccup.

The movement had a great affect on the Nightfury. The Nightfury. At that moment, he wasn't Toothless anymore; he was the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. He spread out his wings and approached Astrid, his reptilian lips pulled back into a snarl.

The girl sucked in a breath. She couldn't help but take a step backward, which only caused the dragon to take two steps forward.

One step backward.

Two steps forward.

One step backward.

Two steps forward.

Astrid would mentally kick herself later for whimpering, but she couldn't help but squeak, "H-Hiccup?" The Nightfury was relentless, inching closer and closer yet to her stiff being. "No! No no! You're not eating me!" She growled, holding out an outstretched hand in an attempt to calm the reptile. But the dragon didn't seem to be interested in her as a whole. No. To her utter horror, he seemed drawn to her protruding _abdomen_.

"T-Toothless!? Toothless, stop!" To his credit, Hiccup did rush forward to try and prevent the dragon from approaching any further. But his attempts were futile, for the dragon had leapt forward, knocking the boy aside in the process with his tail. Hiccup slammed against the wall of his home, pain shooting through his backside as he could only watch in blurry horror of what transpired next.

In a daze, he could only remember bits and pieces.

Toothless leaping forward and pouncing at Astrid.

Toothless grabbing hold of Astrid with his forepaws.

Toothless _taking flight_-Astrid still locked securely in his grip, kicking and screaming a name. His name.

"Ast-Astrid?" Hiccup shook his head clear and leapt from his sitting position. "ASTRID!" He cried, rushing forward with arms pathetically outstretched, as if he could reach the girl and carefully carry her down to safety in his arms. And never let her go. Because she was screaming his name.

"Hiccup!" She screamed, her voice growing faint as they drifted further into the sky. "Hiccuuuuup!"

"ASTRID! WAIT! NO! COME BACK HERE, TOOTHLESS!" The fourteen-year-old screamed, wanting to break into a full sprint almost immediately to keep a close range on the Nightfury.

He didn't make it far.

The moment he pressed his metal foot on the ice in preparation to take off, the momentum against frictionless surfaces was too much for his prosthetic to handle, and he went sprawling, whacking his head so hard against the icy ground that he saw stars...and the blurry image of the Nightfury hauling away his helpless partner and unborn child before he lost consciousness.

...

**Author's Note: *clasps hands together* So...**

**COMMENSE THE RESPONSES:**

**Princess Sakura Luna: AW! Dank you! You're da best! Believe me, it takes a lot o' strength to be able to finish these chapters. I was literally up until 11:30 PM in an attempt to finish this one. Now I'm in Graphic Design, STILL finishing this. God bless!**

**Guest: Should I? That sounds adorable!**

**Hopeplessromantic4life: You'll see! Hehehe. XD**

**Scorpion6955: What makes you say that? *Smiles innocently.***

**Natellah: With all dramatic writing comes theatrical endings, and if I had to be honest, I too wouldn't mind if the baby wouldn't survive. It would open up a very melodramatic flair for the story, and yes, Snotlout would have extreme guilt and would HAVE to open his eyes. Thank you so much for your inspiring words, and I hope to see you in the future!**

**HugsandBugsSmileyface: Hoestly, I'd be more concerned for you if you DIDN'T want her to fall into a pit of fiery death. But you all have to understand that like every person on the planet, Helga is not without flaws and soon justice will prevail.**

**Koollolly: *****giggles sadistically***** Well… I didn't specify whose death, did I? *****Laughs hysterically at the inevitable* I love screwing with people's minds.**

**HawkTooth: Thank you kindly for your impute, and I look forward to receiving more criticism from you! Also, you live an hour away from the Rockies? Broooooo! That's awesome! **

**Saberstorm: You're prediction…had expired. XD**

**Guardian of Azarath: I was thinking of posting a picture of a baby Deadly Nadder/Nightfury baby and what it would look like, just for the sake of it. An interesting crossbreed, no?**

**Tmroc725: Yeah, I totally agree. At the time, it seemed like a huge deal because, well, I was fifteen when I began to write this (few months back) but I suppose back then when it was a feat to live past thirty, people wouldn't spaz over a fourteen-year-old pregnancy. Peace out, rainbow trout!**

**Guest (Two): B-Bavarian? …I don't—I don't even know what that is—what is that? *looks it up* Oh, okay, it's THAT. T_T Haha! ^^**

**SharKohen: Me neither. MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**TigerLily the Wild: *nods solemnly* I tend to weird people out, don't I? And yes! It's starts on Snoggletog.**

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: Many, many thanks, for your awesome reviews! :D**

**FluentFletcher2: Oh, thank the Lord you're a neutral. Commence the brick throwing!**

**PrincessOfAtlantis101: YOU'RE WELCOME! **

**CassandraDayTree: Noooooooooooo proooooBLEMo! Yoffsbfbebefbeerbgreybgygdtrhrbfh.**

**Guest (Three): AY! I said no cursing… *pumps shotgun* **

**MHJohn64th: No worries, no harm, no foul! I would write an extremely long review in response to your own, but Graphic Design is ending soon and I gotta get this posted. But thank you so much for taking the time and energy to leave a response to the chapter. I really love your reviews, and I think I'm developing a crush on you. ….JUST KIDDING! Psyche! Okay, the last part wasn't true, but the rest was!**


	10. Mishap by Confession

**Author's Note: I am now in a race against time as I struggle to finish this story as fast as humanely possible before summer vacation. The technology I have at home is efficient but unbearably slow and my Mac won't let me upload Docx to Fanfiction. So I've been using the Graphic Design computers instead, and boy, is it strenuous. But I hope this chapter will come to terms as easing your reading nerves, so sit back, grab a mug of Yaknog and enjoy the story.**

**Commence Ze Responses:**

**CheyenneDaMelonLord: It's a pretty neat idea, but I'm sorry to tell you that I've already got everything else planned out. But hey! It's awesome to know that someone actually took the time to give me a plot! Thank you so much for your kind words and have an amazing day! :D**

**Guest: TWINS TWINS TWINS TWINS TWINS TWINS TWINS! Sheesh ...I'll think about it! Cripes... You have a twin fetish or something? ... Okay I took that a little too seriously. Haha!**

**Nish: Thank you so much! Aw, well if it's confusing to you then you can always ask me a question and I'll answer it for you, no problem. :) If you like reading stuff about Snotlout, then I think you'll like this one.**

**MHJohn64th: DAAAW! Minx? Me? Please! Yer da minx! Well, unless you're a boy, which you ARE. So... STILL A MINX! In response to everything you wrote in a general sentence: Yaknog will forever be a disappointment to all things related to talent and good. This is the type of drink that would make Jesus cry. The kind of drink that would bring Arnold Schwarzenegger to Heaven's gate. The type of drink that Chuck Norris wouldn't be able to hack down. Yeah, I had a lot of fun writing down that intimate scene. Haha! It was actually based off of comic I saw on DeviantArt but with the roles perplexingly reversed. Glad you enjoyed it!**

**Guest (number two): Behold! Snotlout's POV, just for you. ;)**

**Guest (number three): Believe me, Buddy. *rests hand on the shoulder* You and I are in the same boat.**

**Guest (number four): Oh, trust me, using the same script from "Gift of The Nightfury" took way more time than I thought it would. Remember, I was up till 11 o'clock at night. D:**

**TheTenggi: Oh, thank you so much for the correction! I actually got the translation for my friend and I guess she had it wrong. *sheepish grin* Greetings from California!**

**Imaguest: Okayokayokay! *types so fast that fingers catch fire* GAAAAAAAAHHHH!**

**Launigisae: Keep hoping, sister. Or brother.**

**Princess Sakura Luna: Well, yes. That was intentional. MWHAHAHAHAHA! I'm sooooooo evil! XD**

**PrincessOfAtlantis101: YOU'RE WELCOME! XD**

**PuppeteerOllie: Thank you! Dear Lord, I hope that my twists are better than Shyamalan's!**

**Alpha darkwolf: Are you right? *innocent eyes***

**Guest (number five): *facepalms* WHAT IS UP WITH GUESTS AND TWINS?! Lovely suggestion, though! :D**

**Noname: Oh cripes, she knows where this is going. I better hide all my future chapters in a safe place: my brain. Yeah I type them as I go along. ^^**

**CassandraDayTree: ...You're scary. JUST KIDDING! YOU ARE THE SWEETEST! Stay awesome!**

**FluentFletcher2: I Love You Too. OOOOOOOH! XD (I'll explain later)**

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: Only on Fanfiction will people find it acceptable for these kinds of things. It...desensitizes you...**

**Guardian of Azarath: Hm. That's a very interesting preposition, but I've got it AAAALLL figured out. Even though I type each chapter as I go along. Thank you, though! :D**

**Guest (number six): Dude, bro?**

**HugsandBugsSmileyFace: Haha! I'm going to have dark circles under my eyes for writing this!**

**Natellah: Life's not fair, isn't it? MWAHAHAHAHAHA! Ooh! And you feel me on the cursing thing! You feel me?! Awesome, dude...**

**SMr. Freeze: Thank you! :D**

**Midsully: The dragons are German because the dragons are German. Well, technically only Toothless is. Stormfly is Swedish. *gasp* Wha-? What does it mean?! And hey! I just so happen to be German/Swedish, and I don't go around killing Jews. Dat's mean, bro. *puppy eyes***

**hopelessromantic4life: Ooooh, yes.**

**Guest (number seven): Fishlegs: S-Sorry. It's just getting a little crazy around Berk. Now Snotlout isn't the only one with a secret. Shhh! Meatlug!**

**...**

**_Mishap by Confession_**

_The material universe returns in intricate details as Hiccup slowly gains consciousness. The freezing air biting at his body is the sole cause of his wake. He feels incredibly sluggish and achy; Astrid's hysterical, angry screams remain fresh in his mind, echoing in and out as his vision goes fuzzy. His raw, red fingers twitch a little, coming into contact with ice that was once the ground and he faintly jerks them back at the touch. The rest of him is immobile._

_His emerald eyes are fluttering open, but he can't focus. Not yet. He's too out of it to do so with fainting once again. No rush, no rush. He thinks he can perceive the image of his father rushing over to his side and kneeling, but he's not sure. All he can make out is a very dull mass of color pallets. A scarlet blob etched against the blurry grey of what he thinks is the sky is supposedly his father._

_Undetectable noises fade in and out, almost as if he is underwater and he can feel a large hand rest against his pounding forehead._

_Someone shouts, or so he thinks, because it hurts his ears. Multiple jabbers and guttural growls mimic his sense of human speech and he tilts his head to the side._

_Instant pain._

_His vision alters and the colors change. The voices are clearer now, and so is his detection. The colors are expanding, recollecting, solidifying into recognizable masses that can now be described as his fellow Vikings. And then he jolts, remembering._

"Wha-?!" Hiccup choked out, his emerald eyes popping open wide with fear. His thawing hand flew to his seamed collar, gripping it tightly for a sense of security and to give some feeling to his numb appendage. "What happ-?! Oh, Gods, Astrid!" The male cried out with a gasp and stiffened against the ice. Everything that had transpired minuets before rushed back at him like an angry flock of Terrible Terrors. But instead of being nostalgic at said memory, he was indubitably terrified.

With a panicked intake of breath and grunt of pain, Hiccup propped himself up on his bony elbows and sat up, his wide-eyed stare trained intensely on the empty sky where Astrid was taken. Astrid. She was...abducted! She was hijacked! Literally yanked off her feet! She was _kidnapped_! By Toothless! His best friend!

A large, meaty hand gripped the fourteen-year-old's shoulder to prevent him from leaping up and running towards his obvious destination: the cliffs, so that he may look out over the ocean to see if he could catch a glimpse of his wife. But additional factors such as the splitting headache and dizziness prevented him from doing much of anything except to groan in pain.

"Ngh... Please, no... Oh, Gods..." He shuddered heavily as his father's large arms gently supported his back to help him sit up. His head was pounding, and he was sure that there was a bruised lump back there from slamming it into the ice when he fell.

"Da-Dad!" He wailed, finally finding his voice, although his words came out choppy and breathless. "He took her! Toothless-he took Astrid! He-He-! She's _gone_!"

Stoick's heart dropped as his son began to hyperventilate from the sheer panic he was experiencing. "Gone? What-What do you mean that he took her?!" He barked, gargantuan body tensing. "What happened?! Speak!"

Hiccup sucked in a breath and held it, trying to calm himself but failing. "He- *inhale* -I built him a-a tail fin-a new one! *inhale* Since-Since he couldn't fly on his own and-*inhale* and I put it on and he just-he freaked out and _took_ her!" He austerely gripped his auburn hair, eyes impossibly wide from qualm. "Oh-OH GODS!" He recalled. "She's due!" He cried, for fear of his presentiment. "She's due any day now *inhale* and she's _gone_!"

"Odin's beard..." Stoick was at a loss of what to say, other than to hold his son close to his chest and whisper, "Oh, son. I'm so sorry. So, so sorry."

What else... What else could he say about this cruel repetition of history? How horrible, how appalling must it have been for Hiccup to watch. To watch and not being able to do anything about it as the Nightfury took whom he cherished. It was obvious he'd tried to run after them, on impulse. And Stoick understood. He understood. And now, the only feeling he could ever express towards that dragon was disgust. "Devil," he cursed under his breath.

Hiccup was sniffling, hot, salty tears slowly leaking from his runny eyes in fine streams to which he wiped away in shame. He couldn't cry. Not now in these circumstances. He needed to help Astrid. How he was going to do it was uncertain, but that was his number one priority either way and he couldn't waste any more time than he already had by passing out.

Hiccup unsteadily took to his feet-er, foot, and wrenched himself out of his father's comforting grip. With his runny, emerald eyes trained sharply and solely on the dreary sky, he whispered, "I-I have to go after her."

Stoick quickly got to his feet at his son's gallant statement. "What?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. "Go after her?"

Hiccup turned, louder now. "Y-Yes. I have to go after Astrid. Bring her back..." He paused, predicting that his father would immediately deny his bold affirmation, so he tried to reason. "Dad," he implied, "if Toothless still has her, then he's bound to have landed somewhere on a nearby island with the other dragons. He can't fly forever and-and I can track them down-"

"No!" The vast man instantly repudiated with a harsh bark. "Out of the question!" Hiccup flinched and seemed to wilt before his father's very eyes, all the more in which he felt pain to shut down the idea. But he knew Hiccup, and he was aware that the young teenager would do something impulsive if enabled.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Hiccup," he apologized regretfully. "But to attempt such a journey would be too dangerous. Devastating Winter is finally here, half of the ocean is mined with icebergs, and the weather is only going to get worse! In fact, just this morning, Bucket predicted a mighty storm that would take rampage soon enough."

"All the more reason why I need to get to her!" Hiccup defiantly fired back, angrily thrusting a battered hand towards the sea, which was indeed overrun by ice. "We have to find her! We have to! Because-I never thought I would say this, but she needs me. This time-This time my _child_ needs me!"

"I know, I know, and it devastates me too. It just can't be done!" Stoick fumed, on the brink of panic as well. He paced back and forth while his voice wavered slightly in answer. "I can't risk readying the ships to journey through that watery Helhiem! Even Johan wouldn't be able to make it through that-that death trap with his trade ship!"

"Then, what else can we do?!" Hiccup wailed, tugging at his auburn hair. "Really, because I'm open to suggestions! We don't have the dragons and if the ships can't get through, then-"

"Then, there's _nothing_ we can do," Stoick enunciated slowly. Hiccup pursed his lips and stiffened, only to sink to his knees. He stared up at his father, hardly believing that what was happening, was happening.

"Except," Stoick went on with a mutter, "pray to the Gods that she and your...your child will fight through. Pray that Toothless will return with the both of them."

There was a tremendously long lull in the conversation. Hiccup's gaze drifted to the ground and his hands twitched.

"I...I'm so sorry, son," Stoick whispered, his thick hand covering his weary eyes, the other clenched into a fist. There was a pause, and everything about them seemed to disappear as the true meaning of the words were beginning to sink in.

"No," Hiccup breathed, heart thudding against his ribcage at the sight of seeing the man so defeated. He got up, refusing to back down. "No. Dad, you can't give up now."

"I'm afraid there is nothing that can be done," the older Viking sighed despairingly. "We can't travel anywhere, even if we tried. Besides, the ships wouldn't stand a chance against the icebergs and we don't even know where Toothless went to begin with. He could be anywhere in the Scandinavian Archipelago, no doubt. There are simply...no options left."

"M-Maybe not. Not if we used one of our ships, but a smaller boat, perhaps..." Hiccup slowly insinuated. The gears in the boy's mind were churning like crazy as he tried to formulate a plan. "If-If we can't do it with the ships, then I'll..." Hiccup straightened, staring into the older man's eyes with determination, and he importuned, "I'll go alone. With a smaller boat-a rowboat, per se, so I could weave in and out of the ice blocks."

Stoick's head snapped up, his emerald eyes flaring boldly and intimidatingly at his boy's foolishness. "You most certainly will _not_," he admonished, his gutturally deep voice raising a few octaves higher. "Hiccup, I shall not allow it."

"But I could do it!" Hiccup insisted, already absorbed into his plan. "Sure, I might be the size of a fishbone and have as much brawn as a sea-sick limpet, but-but I could do it!"

"Wormsquat! Hiccup, open your eyes!" His father shouted, startling the boy. "You cannot go on such a journey that reigns your life on the line and expect _me_ to go along with it! My answer is no, and that is my final answer."

"I have to!" The fourteen year-old stubbornly proclaimed. "I have to."

"No!" Stoick hastily approached the boy and harshly gripped his bony shoulders. "I'm not losing you, son. You're staying." His grip tightened once more before finally loosening and falling away. Hiccup reached a hand out to rub the tender area. "The matter is settled."

"How could-?" Hiccup shook his head in desperation. "No! You can't keep me here!" Ignoring his father's heated glare, Hiccup wondered what it would take to change his mind. Didn't he understand that he needed to do this? Didn't he understand what this meant to Hiccup? That his wife and future child's lives were straddling the crevice of Earth and Valhalla?! "No... Dad..." He tried to blink back tears as he inched toward the brink of total devastation. "It..." He couldn't finish. "I need to. Because-This... It's my fault."

"No, it's not," Stoick firmly assured. "It was Toothless who did the deed."

Hiccup shook his head. He knew he should be angry at his dragon for what he had done-and he was. But Toothless was an animal; a dumb animal that couldn't perceive the gravity of his actions. A reptilian creature that couldn't truly decipher the difference between right and wrong. He saw Astrid perhaps not as a companion but as some sort of possession or prize and took the advantage of flight to take her away. The problem was that Hiccup couldn't figure out what his intentions were. But he still blamed himself.

"Think about it. If I hadn't made that tail fin for Toothless, he wouldn't have been able to fly and take Astrid with him," the young boy weakly pointed out, looking back out to the horizon. "That's why I have to go after Astrid. If something ever happened to her, I...I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

Stoick smiled, his eyes teary. "I understand what it's like to miss someone you love-" he ignored Hiccup's wince at "love", "-because, you have to remember what I've gone through. I _know_ how you feel right now."

Hiccup closed his eyes and backed away, shaking his head in denial. He knew the loss of his mother struck his father and ruptured his heart in a way that could never be replenished, but he couldn't bring himself to believe that the same thing could happen to Astrid. Astrid was too strong, too invincible.

"No," he whimpered helplessly, nasally voice cracking as the lump shimmied up his throat. He wrapped his anorexic-thin arms around himself, a cold breeze reducing him to a shivering mess. His shoulders hunched, quaking with guilt. "You can't honestly be saying that-that she'll die! N-Not-She can't die; not-not now!" He tried to swallow the lump, but failed.

His father's teary eyes met his own matching emerald ones, to defeated to contend. With a choked sob, Hiccup shook his head one last time, pursing his lips together before taking off-only this time at a slower pace to avoid slipping on the ice once more.

Deliberately ignoring his father's shouts for him to return, Hiccup sped on in a blinded hysteric frenzy. He made sure to carefully avoid the plaza and instead raced for the thick woodland trees that were blanketed under layer upon layer of snow. A perfect place for a runaway in denial. So the young Viking tore through, crashing through frozen shrubs, thickets, wading through drifts, and hopping over snowy mounds that were buried logs. His sprinting spree only lasted for so long do to his dizziness, lack of air, and sadness until he came to a stop around Raven Point. The only sounds echoing around said area were his gasps and out-of-control sobs that shook his freezing form.

Limping over to snowy underbrush, the fourteen-year-old collapsed in the powder, burying his face in his knees as he tried to calm down. The silence was unnerving, yet could barely think in his hysteria. There, he sobbed his heart out, feeling oh-so helpless and much like a failure who'd betrayed his family.

...

As always on the tiny island of Berk, news spread like an out-of-control wildfire, and soon, every Viking was keen with the tragic incident of the heir's wife and unborn child.

Gobber was the first to know, since he had seen the auburn-haired boy take off in the first place and immediately confronted Stoick about it when he passed by the Forge.

And even after being explained many times of what happened, he still couldn't believe it. "Whaddaya mean, Toothless jest took her?" He gaped, a hand scratching at his temple. He and Stoick were in the Smithy, the devastated father in a miserable state. "He jest-" Gobber made a diving motion with his hook for a hand, "-swooped en flew off weth th' lassie? Ah're ye sure? What would provoke the beast t' do such a thing, anyhow?"

"I'm not sure of anything right now, but Hiccup was lying unconscious when I found him and he recounted everything that had happened. And now..." Stoick's gaze drifted off to the forest where Hiccup had vanished. "Oh, what am I going to do with him, Gobber?" He sighed, musing the situation as he rested against the wooden counter. "The boy's a complete wreck and so far into denial that he's refused to listen to reason. I don't _know_ what to do!"

"Well," the other man contemplated, "what did he say he'd do about et?" Gobber asked, nudging his friend's arm with his prosthetic hand. "Knowing th' boy, he'd be out on a dinghy, rowing fer his life t' try and get to her."

"To put it blatantly," Stoick grumbled with intermittent discomfort. "But you know I can't just enable him do such a thing. Dealing with dragons may be an exception, but this is a journey that even Vikings with the strength of the Gods could not succeed without fatal consequences. He'd be killed before he'd down a mile of rowing."

Gobber sighed, chewing his bottom lip. He'd always defended Hiccup's capability and it seemed uncharacteristic of him to go along with his friend's protective nature. But even if they only had a hunch of where the dragons had gone off to, then they could have tracked them down to locate Astrid. "Yes," he sighed once more, "Fer once, old friend, as much as Ah hate t' admit et, yer right."

"Of course I am. Nobody's ever entered that deathtrap and come out alive. Except for... Remember Juergen Barndstat?" Stoick reminded the other man. "Winters before he began his life of thievery and that lightning bolt to the head, he _barely_ escaped the ice to return home after a trip. It took six rescue teams to bring him back, and by that point the man had nearly died of hypothermia."

"Eh, yeah. Ah remember. En do ye think that's really goin' to stop Hiccup?" Gobber asked. "Change his mind, Ah mean? He's a very persistent boy, Stoick. Stubborn. Ef ye want him to stay on Berk, then ye'll hafta physically enforce et."

"But-Thor's hammer!" Stoick threw his hands up in vexation. "I want to be able to trust him, Gobber! I don't _want_ to have the boy on lockdown in his room every time I look away! I should very much like to trust that he wouldn't act on impulse and rashly make an escape route."

"Hm. Then at least tell me ye explained t' him _why_ he couldn't go-Why ye'd be a wreck ef he left." He shrugged at his friend's pointed glare. "Et's like Ah always say," he articulated, "When et comes to parenting, there needs t' be relationship and there needs t' be ground rules. Ef ye only stick t' relationship and nothing else, he'll run around wild. Ef ye keep t' only ground rules and no relationship, he'll grow rebellious. Ye see what Ah mean?"

"I need a balance, is what you're saying," Stoick slowly clarified with uncomfortable conjugation. Gobber patiently waited for the realization to dawn on the man's face and it _did_ happen, yes, only to be replaced by a sorrowful grimace. "Hiccup, if worst comes to shove, needs to move on." With a heavy sigh of defeat, he adjusted his horned helmet and trudged off. "Pray to the Gods for him, Gobber."

"Ah will! Just remember: relation and rules, Stoick!" Gobber called out just before his friend disappeared into the crowd. "Ech, the poor lass," he muttered sorrowfully before turning to his workbench.

...

If the gloominess of the dragons' disappearance wasn't enough to depress the teens, Astrid's kidnapping sure did. Ruffnut was especially disturbed, being as she and Astrid had been as thick as thieves in their younger days.

To block the pain over their friend's absence, most of the teens spent less time with one another and more with their own families. Fishlegs disappeared mysteriously into his family's storage cabin near the docks more often, the twins hung upside down in the rafters of their home for hours on end, and Snotlout chose a quiet place in the woods to clear his mind. That, or to snap branches from their trunks or practice physical exercises.

If he had felt guilty before, now he felt like an abomination set out to ruin as many lives as possible. Sure, he blamed that stupid newt of a Nightfury for Astrid's kidnapping, but he was at fault for the death of the little one inside of her. He felt at total fault and honestly, how could he tell Hiccup now? How could he possibly drag the other Viking any lower by announcing his betrayal? How?

"He is going to KILL me!" Snotlout growled in frustration, tearing the branch off a small bush. "No, scratch that. _Stoick_ is going to kill me. But not before tearing me limb from limb!"

_"Torture's too good for you."_

"Oh, go suck rocks," Snotlout snarled in annoyance, roughly tearing another branch off with his frozen fingers. "Can't you see I'm having an internal conflict? …Oh."

_"I can't take it anymore, butt-brain. Why don't you go over to Hiccup's place and freaking tell the guy what you did?! Thor almighty, Snotlout, it's been __**nine bleeding months**__! Break already!"_

"Hey, can you do me a favor and stop reminding me!?" Snotlout complained, folding his muscular arms and leaning against the frosted trunk of a tree.

_"How have you not spontaneously combusted from holding it in?!"_

Snotlout wrinkled his nose.

_"You know what I mean. And furthermore, who are __**you**__ to tell me to stop reminding you? I'm never going to stop until you fess up, you ignorant sack of limpets."_

"I'm not going to tell him now!" The young Viking argued. "Do you have any idea how brutal his father is? The guy popped a dragon's head clean off its shoulders when he was just a baby!"

_"Point. You're afraid of punishment, which is understandable." _Snotlout scoffed. _"But did you ever stop to think of what they'd do if you keep it a secret any longer?"_

Snotlout thought about it for a moment and blanched.

_"If you keep it from them any longer," _the voice forewarned, _"they're going to be more angry at you for keeping it a secret rather than what you actually did. You'd be angry too, if the tables were turned."_

The boy took a start. "I don't...well..." He rubbed the back of his neck, raven hair standing up on end. "I guess."

_"So tell him, ya twit!"_

"I just-I can't!" Snotlout groaned. "Now is definitely _not_ the best time, especially since Astrid's missing, the baby's probably gone, and Hiccup's probably off wallowing in depression."

_"Whaddaya gonna do, wait until she's dead?"_

"Wha-? N-No!" The very _idea_ that Astrid could die...

_"Then hike that sorry behind of yours up that hill and CONFESS for the love of all Gods and Goddesess in pathological existence! Sheesh! The least Hiccup could do is lecture you."_

What the voice failed to mention was what Stoick could do, but surely that was intentional so that nothing could prevent the boy from confessing. Or give him any second thoughts. Snotlout sucked in a shaky breath and laughed weakly. "Oh...Thor," he moaned wearily, sliding down the trunk until he sat at the base. His chocolate eyes closed. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

_"Get a grip."_

.._._

Hours passed before Hiccup's tortured nerves finally took a break from the waterworks and left the fourteen-year-old exhausted and weary. He hunched quietly, still hidden beneath the underbrush, the sweet silence his ally as well as his enemy. The harsh winds had long stopped blowing, which encouraged a bit of relief to anchor his heart.

_"Well, as long as there aren't any storms, Astrid's still safe. Maybe. If Toothless hasn't hurt her," _He thought, bunching his bony knees to his equally scrawny chest to hide his tear-painted face. "_Odin this is all my fault. If I had just...maybe I could've saved her. I could've. I should've. She should be home, safe and warm! Not out there surrounded by a mass of fire-breathing reptiles!" _He flinched in disgust. "_Ugh! And you! Stop crying!" _He scolded himself. _"Astrid's out there probably freezing to death and you're sitting in the middle of the forest, crying like a newborn! You have to have hope! Don't despair!" _He sighed, tensing up all the more.

"...Ye'll catch cold ef ye stay out here too long," a deep but distinctively feminine boomed, causing the sniveling boy to outright shriek in surprise. Hiccup snapped his head upward at an angled ninety degrees to gawk into the eyes of the woman herself: Helga.

Memories consisting of her gravely aggressive nature still fresh in her mind, Hiccup paled. He unconsciously reached up to touch his cheek; the one she's struck all those months ago._ "Dah, da, dah, I'm dead," _he thought hopelessly, considering for a moment if he should make a chicken's escape. But Helga was standing directly above him, parting the branches of the underbrush so he was in her lie of sight. She could make a grab at him any moment, so he stood stock-still as her oddly listless eyes bore into his. Her expression was impassive; though, he could just make out the hint of tear trail-marks and the tiniest shade of redness in her eyes.

Hiccup curled in on himself and squeezed his emerald eyes shut. _"Oh, brilliant. She's come for revenge!" _He heard the distinct crunch of Helga's boots coming into contact with the ice as she rounded the underbrush and headed for him. He could only tense, his heart thudding against his ribcage. _"This is it. What's it going to be? An axe? Sword? Shield? Perhaps she brought the Thumbscrews with her?"_ He blanched._ "Her fists...Oh, this is probably how Toothless felt when I found him in the woods."_

Hiccup made one last prayer to Odin before she would initiate his untimely demise, but to his shock, it never came. He waited. He waited quite a while for the verbal and physical abuse that was surely to come, but...

There was a large thump to his right and he curled up tighter. The branches about them were disturbed by her invading form and swayed, flecks of snow drifting from their perches. Hiccup dared not stir.

"..."

A soft breathing finally urged him to peek and he found Helga sitting beside him, cross-legged, eyeing him impassively. Neither of them moved, and Hiccup wondered if she had already killed him and this was that Catholic place...purgatory?

Nerves erratic, the boy spluttered, "I-I don't mind if you ah, sit here. No-Nope, not at all!" When Helga remained silent, he sheepishly added, "Er...did I say anything out loud?" It was all he could take from leaping to his knees and beg for his life.

The large woman merely raised both eyebrows and asked, "Mind ef Ah join ye?"

Okay. ...Okay, she hadn't killed him yet. Good, that was good. Hiccup sucked in a deep breath and replied, "Well, seeing how you're already sitting here-" He cut off abruptly, internally screaming at himself to not be so wry with her. He forced himself to nonchalantly shrug, but then realized that must of looked too condescending, because he quickly added, "No, no. I don't mind." As long as they kept talking, he'd still be alive.

"Careful, boy," the woman muttered, crossing her thick arms. "Think ye almost soiled yeself." Hiccup's throat felt dry, and he swallowed hard. In the biting cold, he could detect the faint feeling of heat radiating from her body.

"Um..." He bit his lip, dodging her piercing gaze. "I guess you can go ahead now."

Helga blinked. "Excuse me?" She inquired in surprise.

"You know," Hiccup said almost testily, "Kick me, punch me, shove me, amputate my other leg. I'm sure you can think of something." The air seemed to stand still and for the longest time, Helga just stared at the young male, trying to best the guilt that overrode her conscious.

"And why would Ah want t' do that?" She asked unhurriedly, as to not startle the boy any further.

"Wh-?" Hiccup looked up at her, exposing his miserable, tear-painted face to the biting air. Helga sucked in a breath. He looked depressed. "Be-Because Astrid's missing! Why _wouldn't _you want to hurt me?"

Helga's face grew incensed at the mention of her daughter and Hiccup hid his face once more. "Th' only being Ah want t' hurt right now is that devil Nightfury fer takin' mah daughter away."

She wasn't going to kill him? Oh, well that was quite a relief, and although Hiccup was grateful for the sparing of his life, he was still mildly confused. He peeked at her through his arms. "...Mind if I clarify?"

Helga shrugged.

"You..." He uncovered his face a bit more. "You're not mad at me?"

"No," Helga scoffed, much to his dismay, "Ah'm furious, but... Not fer the reasons ye think. Et wasn't yer fault." Oh, he knew it was too good to be true. But even so, the fact that she hadn't castrated him _was_ impressive.

Hiccup was amazed at this new prospect, although he slightly disagreed with it. "Not my fault?" He repeated, dazed. "Wow, that's...ah, pretty amazing coming from you-No offense or anything!"

"Non taken," the older Viking stiffly replied.

Hiccup twiddled his fingers, unhappily relishing in the quiet awkwardness that followed suit to her impassive reply.

"Well, what're ye waitin' fer? Ah're ye goin' t' get her?" Helga suddenly asked, breaking him out of his dazed stupor.

"I-I..." Greatly surprised by her question, he somehow managed to retrieve his sharp tongue and laughed hesitantly, "With my Dad constantly reprimanding the mere idea of it? Sadly, and regretfully...no."

"What?" Helga barked, causing the fourteen-year-old to jump. "Since when have ye ever listened t' him?"

"..."

"Exactly," she smirked triumphantly. "Now, Ah may not be yer favorite person right now, but Ah know ye're fond of mah daughter, and ye'd go t' great lengths fer her."

_"Oh boy,"_ Hiccup thought. "Well, yes," he admitted aloud. "That-That's true."

"That, my dear boy, es what Ah'm angry about," she told him with narrowed eyes. "What's keeping ye? Yer small-"

"Why, thank you," Hiccup interrupted sarcastically with an obvious role of his emerald eyes.

"-and with that little advantage, ye can get to her," Helga continued, ignoring his careless sarcasm. She stopped and looked to her right as if to make sure nobody was there before turning back to Hiccup. "Ye can weave in and out of th' icebergs," she continued in a rushed whisper, "Beat the storms. Ye may have a tiny stature, but ye don't lack en the brain department."

"Oh," Hiccup genuinely perked. "Thank you!" Finally, someone who thought that his little rescue mission wasn't impossible! "You're right. I have to find her. Before..." He trailed off, his gaze drifting.

"Aye," Helga agreed quietly. "Ye must remember, lad. That may be yer son or daughter, but that's also mah grandchild _and_ mah daughter out there. Ah want them both back just as much as ye do."

"Right..." Hiccup mumbled, fully revealing his face. "I...I have to try." Now that he had received the proper encouragement that he greatly needed, now he had the greater task of formulating a plan. How was he going to rescue Astrid? He wasn't sure, but he had to do it.

"When ye get t' Astrid, don't tell her that Ah thought she wouldn't survive on her own," the woman warned. "She can get very antsy when folks tell her things like that."

Hiccup chuckled half-heartedly. How much faith did this woman have in him to bring her daughter back? "Trust me, my lips are sealed," he promised wearily. "And I'll-I'll try my best to find her. Cross my heart."

Helga nodded in gratification and with a slight heave, lifted herself out of the snow. For a moment, she seemed torn from leaving him and remaining a bit longer. She licked her lips and huffed. "Just... Do what ye need t' do, Hiccup." The boy let out a slight gasp, having heard his name exiting her mouth for the first time.

"And..." She wrinkled her nose and squirmed, as if she wanted to voice her thoughts but not sure how to word them. "I'm...I'm sorry," she finally muttered, catching Hiccup completely off-guard. "For-For everything." And with that said and done, she turned on her heels and lumbered away through the woodlands to head back to the village, Hiccup staring at her retreating form, open-mouthed.

Whatever his father had done to that woman had certainly made an improvement. Since when did Helga ever apologize to people, let alone him? The act of humbleness touched the young male, and he sat quietly and thoughtfully for a moment before his thoughts returned to his rescue plan.

Helga was right about him. Since when has he ever listened to his father in time of crisis like this? And since when had his father always been right? Not lately, no. This was his wife that everyone was talking about. His wife who had been kidnapped and taken away from him along with his unborn child by the most fearsome of dragons in the Scandinavian Archipelago. Who was his father to decide whether he could or could not go save his wife? With sympathy, Hiccup did understand his father's reasoning. If the tables were turned, _he_ certainly wouldn't want his son to be out there all alone on the freezing ocean. This was just something that he had to do. He didn't care if he returned home black and blue with bruises and cuts, nearly dead of hypothermia. As long as Astrid was safe, he didn't care what state he was in.

_"Sorry, Dad,"_ Hiccup apologized with a relished determination burning in his scrawny chest. Shivering from the cold, the young Viking pushed himself out of the white slush and started to hobble towards the edge of the village. _"I'll be back...maybe."_

_..._

_"I can do this, I can do this, I can do this," _Snotlout internally repeated to himself over and over again as he neared the small hill that proudly displayed the Chief's house perched upon it. _"Yeah, I'm Snotlout Jorgenson," _He thought haughtily._ "I can do anything and spilling the beans is just the tip of the iceberg, suckas!"_

But as he closed the distance from the large abode and himself, his bravado vanished, leaving him a complete mess. "Oh, who am I kidding?!" He whined dejectedly, clutching the twisted horns of his helmet. "I'm gonna spontaneously combust before I tell Hiccup anything!"

"Tell me what?"

Snotlout froze and visibly blanched, panic coursing through his veins. He whipped around to face his cousin, who's face still seemed weary, but with a newfound lively determination. "Hiccup!" He greeted a bit too enthusiastically, thrusting his arms out while forcing a big grin on his face. "Hi! Hey, wha-? I...didn't hear ya!"

"Oh, well. That's...nice," Hiccup smiled awkwardly, noticing the older Viking's nervous demeanor. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked in slight concern. He'd never seen Snotlout so tensed and skittish.

"What? Oh! Yeah!" The boy replied, trying to sound chill in his typical arrogant speech. "You know me. Just taking a little time to talk with my wittle baby cousin."

Hiccup rolled his eyes in annoyance. Well, at least he could count on his cousin to get on his nerves. "You're only a few months older than me. So if I'm a baby, you're a toddler." He paused and shook his head clear. "I'm sorry. You wanted to tell me something?"

The grin Snotlout's face adorned instantly evaporated. "Shyeah...But you seem to be in a hurry, sooooo maybe I'll tell you later."

Hiccup smiled sadly and shrugged. If the trip was just as dangerous as his father had described, then who knew if he would ever hear from Snotlout again? His master plan was to grab as many supplies as he could from his home, get to a boat from the docks and somehow quietly slip out without anyone noticing. "No, no. I have plenty of time," he lied in assurance, maneuvering his way around his cousin to near his home. "Wanna come inside?" He asked, jabbing a thumb toward the building.

To his surprise, Snotlout rapidly shook his head and retreated back a few steps. "Yeah, I can't," he declined.

Hiccup frowned in puzzlement. "Why not?"

Snotlout inhaled deeply before blurting, "Because if I tell you what I did while I'm in _there_, you'll never let me back out alive!" Hiccup blinked and then groaned.

"Snotlout..." He asked slowly in exasperation, massaging both temples with his frozen fingers, "What did you do this time?"

"Eh-What did I do...? This, heh, you're gonna love this," Snotlout laughed faintly. Oh, Odin help him. "What I did happened many months ago... Um, it-it has to do with, um, Astrid, Hiccup."

Hiccup's emerald eyes popped open from their half-lidded state and he drew back as if he had been slapped. "Astrid?" He asked quickly but flatly, trying to abort the panic creeping into his tone at the name of his missing partner. "What about Astrid?"

"Oh, Thor... Um, how do I say this? Ah..." Snotlout fumbled with his words in an attempt to sound articulate and averted his gaze from Hiccup's fearful one, rubbing his arm out of nervousness. "Ugh," he shivered, visibly paling. "I think I'm gonna throw up."

"Please don't. It'll freeze," Hiccup advised, biting his lip. What did Snotlout do to make him this terrified of confessing? _This_ wary of entering his home with fear of never exiting? "Just tell me!"

"Okay! Okay! Don't rush me," Snotlout snapped, exhaling deeply. "IcandothisIcandothisIcandothisIcandothisIcandothisIcandothisIcandothisIcandothis-" After a quick prayer to the Gods, Snotlout closed his eyes and croaked, "Remember when you defeated the Red Death?"

Hiccup deadpanned. "Uh. Briefly. Little fuzzy, if you ask me," he joked nervously.

"Ack!" Snotlout smacked his forehead. "I-I meant afterwards. The _celebration_!" The celebration?

Hiccup squinted and thought for a moment. "Yeah, now THAT was a little fuzzy," he admitted, blushing a bit. "What about it? I mean, I wasn't out in the Great Hall with you guys; I was with Astrid...you know, in the Forge?"

"I know. I was there," Snotlout blurted.

The younger Viking did a double take, eyes widening to an impossible circumference. "Y-You were-" He shook his head, dazed, "You-You were _there?" _It took a good ten seconds for Snotlout to realize his mistake.

"Oh, nonononono," he cried out in disgust. "Not like that-Thor! I didn't mean-!" He took a deep breath, his cheeks burning. "The point is: you two drank an elixir that gotcha all...yeah-and the adults don't know where you guys got it."

"Honestly, Snotlout. I don't remember jack-squat about that night, nor do I really want to remember," Hiccup sighed. "Where we got that drink is a mystery, so where exactly are you going with this?"

"Okay. Okay. I'm getting there," Snotlout tensed for a moment, his nervousness, anxiety, and stress all at their peaks as the truth at last slipped past his lips. "Wanna know the crazy part?" He was trembling as he squeaked, "..._I'm_ the one who gave you the elixir! Heh! 'C-'Cause I knew that whatever you guys would do in there would jeopardize your relationship! Heh...heh..." _There_. Finally, after months of keeping privy to a secret that he'd held for so long, it was finally off his chest. The relief was enormous, but even with this horrifying secret revealed, he still felt kind of clammy.

As to how Hiccup felt? Well, that depended on his reaction. And right then, he didn't look too happy. An almost impossibly serene expression overtook his face, his once tensed body going limp. At first, Snotlout was considering the craziness of Hiccup NOT being upset, but then his cousin's expression darkened.

"No... You didn't," Hiccup breathed with intones, brows furrowing. It was a statement, a warning.

Snotlout hung his head and inaudibly sighed in shame. "I...did," he confirmed, heart beating rapidly against his ribcage. "I did."

Hiccup drew back as if someone had socked his jaw, having felt taken advantage of, deceived, humiliated, despised, cheated, stabbed in the back, which blatantly _did_ happen. Snotlout, his own _cousin_, was the cause of the entire conundrum that had affected his life.

"Why?" Hiccup whispered, a lump rising in his throat. But he wasn't going to cry in front of the traitor. The betrayer. Yes, that's what he was. It was bad enough when a stranger or foe betrayed him, but when it was someone he believed to be a close and trusted friend and a family member, was especially hurtful. "Why?" He asked again, a bit more forceful.

"I...I was jealous because you and Astrid looked all good to go with each other," Snotlout quietly muttered. "I liked her and you already had her. Yeah, I was jealous. Happy?" Snotlout's confession came as unsurprising, and perhaps that was why it was so painful. Hiccup knew that his cousin was always one to pull pranks and sometimes resorted to name calling, but he didn't expect _this_! Nor did he expect to be hurt so badly from someone he thought he could trust. So now, the fourteen-year-old was left in disbelief and unbelievable pain.

"Happy? You-You're-" Hiccup swallowed the lump and uncharacteristically snapped, "Do I look happy to you? You _poisoned_ us-you poisoned _her_, because you were jealous?!" The person he thought he could trust and count on with dragons was no longer the person he believed the other boy to be. So he wondered what happened. What was going on through his cousin's mind all those months ago? What provoked him to do such a thing? Because giving them an elixir wasn't just a silly little mistake; it was a scheming move with a conniving motive. The fourteen-year-old felt his little half-sleeved fists tighten, even though he knew he would be no match for his cousin. "Do you have _any idea_ how much pain you put her through?"

"I-No. I don't," Snotlout admitted truthfully, guilt once again overshadowing relief that never even seemed justified. "It's just-it was hard to watch you guys being all lovey-dovey around each other. And in the end I didn't want you guys to go any further."

Hiccup let out a sudden, hollow laugh, taking a step backward. "And you don't even seem _sorry_!" He gasped. "You betrayed her and you betrayed me and you never even said you were _sorry_..." Snotlout flinched at the word. Ah, betrayal. A destructive force that leaves many ruins in its path. Snotlout knew that his particular case would change everything. Relationships and all those affected would never be the same again. The damage he'd done was irreparable. Trust was lost. Wounds ran deep. Anger persisted. Hearts were broken. Self-protective walls were erected. Pain would be long and lasting. And he wondered… "You're unbelievable."

Would trust ever be restored between the two cousins? Would the wounds ever heal? Would the anger cease to exist? Could hearts be repaired? Would the self-protective walls ever come down? Would the pain ever go away? As of right now, all answers were leaning towards a negative field.

Hiccup raised a fist and stepped forward, almost as if he were going to strike the other boy, but he stopped and dropped his arm. What good would it do to harm Snotlout? He—He didn't even have time for this. He needed to grab the supplies, and leave at dawn. He gave an angry, disapproving shake of his head and stormed up the remainder of the hill. He then entered his home, slamming the door shut. The sheer amount of force he exerted caused the older Viking to flinch. The air about him grew unbearably cold once more and he swallowed.

_"Took it hard, huh?" _The voice asked pityingly.

"That's an understatement," Snotlout mumbled guiltily to the voice. "I don't think I've ever seen him this mad before-not that I blame him or anything." Crossing his thick arms, the boy turned around and slowly began to trudge away. "I don't feel better."

"_Yeah, well, you __**did**__ demolish whatever trust he had in you and didn't apologize."_

Snotlout stopped short, mentally cursing himself for being so stupid. How could he have forgotten to apologize? "I-Oh, no. I'm _such_ an idiot. No wonder he looks so messed up."

_"You gotta understand. It's not just the fact that you didn't apologize, but for what you did in the first place. Keeping secrets... Not only does betrayal change relationships, it changes individuals. Cousin Hiccup might find it difficult to ever trust you. He might be more guarded and protective of himself for fear of being vulnerable again."_

Snotlout shut his chocolate eyes, which were growing red, runny, and hot. "Stop," he choked out as he started to turn up a quick pace towards his own house. "I don't wanna hear it."

_"You need to because Hiccup might learn to be more discerning and less naïve. His expectations of others may change. He may reflect on their own role and responsibility in the relationship and what went wrong."_

"I get it, man!" Snotlout cried through harshly gritted teeth. He was covering his ear now. "Shut it!"

_"He might try to understand, empathize, and forgive."_

Snotlout opened his eyes and cautiously uncovered an ear.

_"He may be motivated to grow from the experience and learn more about himself and others."_

"Yeah, great," Snotlout mumbled sarcastically as he entered the darkened home, a hearty fire roaring in the hearth. But for him it was anything but warm and inviting, for it reminded him that Astrid would not enjoy such heat out there. "What are ya? A therapist? Psh."

_"You need a therapist._

"What?!" Snotlout exclaimed, thoroughly offended. "I don't need a therapist! You need a therapist!"

_"Sick burn. Anyway, I AM what one might call a therapist. Others...call me a conscience."_

"Oh, that's what you are?" Snotlout questioned, wrinkling his nose as he sat by the fire, relishing in the warmth.

_"Well, what on Berk did you think I was?"_

The boy shivered. "I just assumed I was going nuts for keeping that secret for so long. And you were like the voice of Fishlegs, forever hunting me until I confessed."

_"Ooh, creative,"_ the voice teased sarcastically, causing Snotlout to grunt. "_But on to more important things. What I am and what my origin hardly matters at a time like this. See, you need to know the true gravity of what Hiccup is feeling. You saw him. You saw his face. What pain he must feel."_

"Ugh. Ham it up, will ya?"

_"Shush. The pain of betrayal that he's feeling is very real and has a significant impact on the lives of all those who have experienced it. It is one of those painful life experiences that have the power to change people's hearts and lives forever. If he has ever been betrayed, he cannot change what has happened to him or make the pain go away."_

Snotlout "hmphed" and rested his chin against his palm. "I get it," he muttered.

_"Hold on. Don't go running to him right now to apologize. He needs time to grieve and feel angry. He needs time to be comforted and encouraged, yes, but by those who have not betrayed him. He also needs time to restore faith in himself and others. Betrayal hurts, and there isn't a fast and easy way to heal from its affects. It takes more than time. It takes a heart that will not harden. It takes a commitment to believe in others again. Relationships do change as a result of betrayal; but ultimately, how it changes him is what matters most."_

"Good Thor, what have you been reading?" Snotlout joked to himself, grabbing a fire poker to tend to the flickering flames. "Alright, alright, alright. So, what do you think I should do?"

_"That's your fate to decide," _the voice reminded him. _"My job is to be on the sidelines, screaming orders at you 24/7. It's a strenuous job. Especially from coaching someone who never listens."_

"Hey, I take orders from nobody!" Snotlout snapped, jabbing a thumb at himself. "Except myself!"

_"I AM you, dolt-face! Now get out there and apologize to Hiccup!"_

"Wait, I thought you didn't want me to apologize to him yet," Snotlout said slowly, setting down the metallic fire poker. "To give him time to grieve or whatever."

_"At a time like this, silly things like consistency are practically nonexistent," _the voice dismissed. _"Now get out there!"_

The raven-haired boy groaned and tiredly rubbed his forehead, but reluctantly headed for the door. "Only if you promise to shut it for five seconds."

_"Done."_

_..._

**Author's Note: *yaaaaawn* I have never been so tired in my lifezzzzz.**

**Anyways! *perks* I hope all you Fanrats have enjoyed this chapter, and I would love to hear more input from you guys in reviews. Keep leaving them, guys. I'll know how much I love them. And please be dears and fave this. I would LOVE a few more favorites and followers. ;D**

**Next chapter will be dwelling more to Astrid's point of view. And no, she has not perished yet. Yay!**


	11. Mishap by Isolation

**Author's Note: WHOOH! After many months of thumb-breaking labor, I am finally nearing the end of this heinous story. Finals are coming up pretty soon for me and I might not be able to have enough time to work on it every second of the day, but I should get a decent amount of writing done during lunch and such. I'm so happy that you guys have stayed with me this long, and I appreciate all the reviews, favorites, and followers. So I would like to present all their names at the end of the chapter. So without further do:**

**Commence the Responses:**

**DisneyandDreamworksfangirl: Your vote has officially been counted! Check out the poll!**

**hopelessromantic4life: Who knows? He might just make it!**

**AnotherGuest: If Hiccup could be the one to invent the kayak, he'd be perfect... **

**Princess Sakura Luna: Nah, not a demented 5-year-old. More like a demented 13-year-old. ...Hehe, JUST KIDDING! I totally did not mean that. You are a fabulous writer, and I love how you observed Hiccup's reaction to finally hearing what has been a privy for so long. It makes me proud to know that my faithful Fanrats are taking the time to calculate! Thank you so much for your review and I do want to hear more from you in the future! :D**

**Guardian of Azarath: Diaper duty for Snotlout? Heh! They should sign him up for babysitting. And as for Stoick:**

**STOICK: Guardian of Azarath, when will you learn that it's a father's job to do what's best for his child no matter what the circumstances? I do not suppose that you are a father; therefore you have no experience and do not know what's best for my son. *tips helmet***

**PuppeteerOllie: Yep! Snotlout has officially come out! Bwahahaha!**

**HugsandBugsSmileyFace: You sure we don't have any more options than a boy, a girl, or twins? ;) Let us just hope quadruplets aren't on the menu.**

**Lei' Raeyna: Huh, I feel so empowered right now. Because I get to choose what happens next... MWAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**NoraTheeNinth: Man, it feels so good know that people actually read and enjoy my stories... What more can I possibly say "thank you", because it inspires me so much when people leave reviews like this. Thanks so much and I hope to see you in the future!**

**FluentFletcher2: Happy writing to you too, Fletcher! Man we really do go back a ways, don't we? :)**

**PrincessOfAtlantis101: Oh. No! Not Outcasts! Don't worry we are not running into Alvin the Treacherous anytime soon.**

**CassandraDayTree: Snotlout's butt shall remain unscathed... For now. :)**

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: ****STOICK: Sir Comedy, you are sorely mistaken.**

**Noname: Yeah, thank the Lord for that, right?**

**TheForsakenTwist: *pats back* We all want Astrid back. Too bad I'm already writing her an epitaph. ;)**

**BeagleCake: WHA DANK YA, NOEL!**

**SharKohen: I had a super fun time writing the characteristics for Conscience, or, The Voice. He's so snarky that you'll...I don't know, be barfing rainbows for a week! I'm not sure that's how it works, but still!**

**Hyper ova: Well then. OOOOKAY! :D**

**Monrou Beta: you may or may not get your wish. Believe me, I do writing torture stories, but I just don't feel right punishing a guy-teenage guy no less- for doing something incredibly stupid and then beating himself up over it for nine months straight. It may happen but there's always that chance that Astrid may not find out. *wicked grin***

**AfricaWebbert13: Trust me, if Toothless ever DID kill Astrid, there'd be a riot on fanfiction and all of the fan girls would be targeting me... Commence the brick throwing.**

**TigerLily the Wild: None of us can truly hate Snotlout. I don't even believe it's even physically or emotionally possible. He's always going to be that lovable rival we all adore.**

**Guest: Don't worry. *pulls into hug* it's all part of my master plan-COUGH! I-I mean: the grieving process, of course!**

**The Burning Pillar: ****Dude, I totally understand. I have made the same mistake many times before in the past and going back I feel like a total idiot. T.T But, hey! At least we're in the same boat, right? Anyway, it's kind of funny to hear that your school is beginning soon, because I literally have only two days of school left starting tomorrow. And then it's nothing but summer vacation! Stories! Art! ...Jobs... Babysitting...Oh no. Anyway, thank you so much for your review! I love hearing your feedback because it puts this warm little fuzzy feeling in my...stomach, and you always managed to crack me up no matter how much "June Gloom" we have here in California. And I could just tell you were a guy because...well...I don't know. I just could. At least I didn't think you were a girl, right? Like how you thought I was a boy at the very beginning? XD**

**MHJohn64th: Dude, I totally understand. I have made the same mistake many times before in the past and going back I feel like a total idiot. T.T But, hey! At least we're in the same boat, right? Anyway, it's kind of funny to hear that your school is beginning soon, because I literally have only two days of school left starting tomorrow. And then it's nothing but summer vacation! Stories! Art! ...Jobs... Babysitting...Oh no. Anyway, thank you so much for your review! I love hearing your feedback because it puts this warm little fuzzy feeling in my...stomach, and you always managed to crack me up no matter how much "June Gloom" we have here in California. And I could just tell you were a guy because...well...I don't know. I just could. At least I didn't think you were a girl, right? Like how you thought I was a boy at the very beginning? XD**

**MHJohn64th: Dude, I totally understand. I have made the same mistake many times before in the past and going back I feel like a total idiot. T.T But, hey! At least we're in the same boat, right? Anyway, it's kind of funny to hear that your school is beginning soon, because I literally have only two days of school left starting tomorrow. And then it's nothing but summer vacation! Stories! Art! ...Jobs... Babysitting...Oh no. Anyway, thank you so much for your review! I love hearing your feedback because it puts this warm little fuzzy feeling in my...stomach, and you always managed to crack me up no matter how much "June Gloom" we have here in California. And I could just tell you were a guy because...well...I don't know. I just could. At least I didn't think you were a girl, right? Like how you thought I was a boy at the very beginning? XD**

...

**_Chapter Eleven: Mishap by Isolation_**

It had taken quite a significant amount of time for Astrid to finally fall silent, helplessly trapped within the claws of the Nightfury. Said midnight claws hooked fixedly beneath the girl's armpits, hauling her like a fresh kill to deliver back to the nest. It had begun to hurt minuets after her abduction, and she wanted to get down. Now. But after hours of screaming, angry pleading, and yes, desperate crying, Astrid defeatedly lowered her head with a growl, realizing that there was not much she could do other than wait in stony anger for him to land.

Speaking of which, the sheer amount of anger she felt towards her kidnapper itself could've melted solid rock. Never having felt much resentment towards the dragon in the first place, she was now doubly confused. What on Berk had she ever done to invoke him to do such a thing?

Nothing! Absolutely nothing, and now she was being carted further and further away from home and out into the cruel, unforgiving world of winter.

It was hours later and Toothless had yet to show any indication of turning back. Micro clouds of despair began to overshadow the notes of fury, and Astrid started to worry. They'd been traveling a great distance with no signs of stopping, and the further they journeyed from Berk, the more nervous she became.

Cold wind ceaselessly whipped her listless body, causing her to squirm and shiver in discomfort. That day, she hadn't been wearing furs. Instead she was decked out in her normal attire with no protection from the freezing air. "Toothless," she croaked, her throat much like sandpaper as a result of her previous shouts. "Where...Where're you taking me?"

The dragon was silent, and Astrid had given a feeble kick of defiance, even when she knew it would do nothing.

Toothless soared endlessly in the never-ending fog. Astrid was aware of their proximity in relation to the ocean. The Nightfury even had to veer up to avoid a stranded, half-sunken ship.

Her thoughts began to whirl as the seconds ticked away, and Astrid wondered what Hiccup had done after her kidnapping. After being torn from the ground, she'd caught a glimpse of him slipping and falling quite heavily onto the ice... And then the clouds had blocked her lie of sight. She grimaced, her own weight stretching out her aching appendages. She hoped he wasn't hurt.

"Ugh... Toothless, please!" Astrid muttered, resting the side of her heavy head against her outstretched arm. The long haul was starting to take a toll on her neck, having been jerked and lolled to the side whenever Toothless decided to take a sharp turn. With a moan of discomfiture, she squeezed her eyes shut. "We have to...to go back." Oh, perfect. Not only were limbs being stretched far beyond the range of comfort, but now she felt queasy.

"Or at least land soon, 'cause I'm gonna throw up if you don't!" She growled, swinging her body to indicate her needs.

A harsh warble was her only response and she groaned, going limp. "Just *ulp*" The girl swallowed. "-Oh, there it goes!" She squeezed her eyes shut once more, trying her best to focus through a dazed, cloudy mind.

For the sake of her, and her child's life, she had to figure out where the dragon was taking her, and even more important, if he would bring her back home. Because if her body unanticipatedly predetermined to go into labor, she was powerless to stop it. The baby would die due to the environment, and she would most likely perish soon after as a result of bodily pain. These thoughts and predictions caused anxiety to shoot up her aching spine, her nerves going erratic with her breathing.

"Come ON!" She yelled furiously, giving a ferocious kick. "Get me DOWN from here!" In response, Toothless made a sharp turn, causing her to narrowly miss a passing sea stack. Astrid blanched, the gravity of danger weighing her down. "Toothless! Watch it!" She scolded.

The dragon ignored her shouts and made a few more sharp turns before dipping down towards the ocean, only to shoot back up and make his way out of the fog and into the bright blue sky. Oddly enough, it was sunny, and Astrid sighed, letting the rare bit of warmth wash over her like a wave. If only the ache in her arms would go away.

Toothless let out a bark, gaining her attention. She opened her tired, blue eyes, and gasped. Shaking her head to make sure she wasn't going nuts, she stared. Below them and approaching fast, was a small, crescent-shaped island with little water pools and entirely made of rock, no plant life to be found. But that's not what so precariously grasped her attention.

The creatures inhabiting the tiny island were abundant in numbers, and naturally, it was very crowded. But what _were_ these creatures? To her utter joy, she recognized the tiny dots that were the long-lost reptilian animals.

The dragons!

Without meaning to, Astrid grinned and let out a whoop as they began to descend. "Stormfly!" She gasped, almost teary-eyed from her joy. But that would've been sappy.

"She's down there, I _know_ it!" Astrid laughed. "Oh, thank you Gods! Thank Odin! Thank Freyja!" The Gods _had_ been watching over her all this time. Her body sagged with relief, a ride home just an island hop away. She didn't have to worry about anything crazy happening.

Toothless grunted happily and began a sharp nose dive, curling his midnight wings close to his body to pick up speed. The wind rushed at them for a final time before the dragon finally landed on the rocky island. He gently set Astrid on her wobbly feet and she stumbled forward a bit, her body still shaken up by the rough trip.

Toothless cautiously neared the blonde human and nudged her side with a soft croon that completely foiled his earlier growls and grunts. Astrid's lip curled and she gave a not-so-gentle sock to the dragon's snout, causing him to read back in surprise.

"That's for kidnapping me," she snarled, anger returning. Toothless blinked innocently with his brilliant jade eyes. "Don't look so surprised," she huffed irritably, walking toward the edge of a short drop off. Turning her gaze to the mass of reptiles that had claimed the island, she squinted, noticing that something or other was off.

For one, most of the females were lying down, curled up at the feet of the males, obviously exhausted but for reasons unknown. Strange. Why hadn't they inhabited a roomier island? Perhaps this was a midway and they were still journeying to the real deal.

The young girl carefully advanced and neared the edge of the small sandstone drop-off. From this height, she could clearly see that the dragons had constructed circular mounds of dirt, one per pair, and each containing rocky round-

"Eggs?!" Astrid gasped, the truth dawning over her. "Are-Are those really eggs?" Toothless warbled some and sniffed at the air, presumably to catch Stormfly's scent.

Astrid's breath stalled in her lungs, her mind too in shock to be bothered with such trivial tasks as breathing or thought. She whipped her head around to face Toothless, who was casually grooming his foreleg. He was not at all moved by the circumstances, much rather amused at the human female's shock.

Astrid gathered enough of her resolve for a moment as the dragon eyed her with expectancy. She stared with disbelief as she posed an unsteady statement. "So _that's_ why you left," she concluded, the maternal sight enchanting yet worrying her. These female dragons looked completely exhausted, and their mates were no doubt going to stay by their sides. How would she get a ride home?

"Okay, okay. Relax," She consoled herself. "I'm sure there's a willing dragon here that's not totally drained. I'm just going to check up on Stormfly and if she doesn't work, then...I'll find another ride home."

With sharp azure eyes, the Viking surveyed the entirety of the area. Everyone was there from the Gronkles to the Zipplebacks to the Monstrous Nightmares. And each couple had a little nest, each nest holding a number of eggs. Never under three, some obtained five, some nine, some even had thirteen.

"I guess this explains why you never raided us during Snoggletog," the girl mused, letting out an airy little laugh.

She then turned to Toothless, chewing her lip, calculating him. "Why did you bring _me_ here?" She asked. "It's not like I'm a dragon too!" To her shock, he merely snorted and began to saunter away toward the opposite end of the island.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, trotting after him as best she could in her state. "Got somewhere to be? Because you're not leaving without me, you sack of scales!" She made a bold attempt to latch onto his body as he continued to pad away, but he doesn't so much as flinch, causing her to catch up in annoyance after a few falters. "Where on Berk are you going?" She panted in exasperation. "I don't have time for this!"

_"This way, youngling," _Toothless warbled briskly, ignoring the scritch-scratch of her cold little paws clinging to his scaly backside._ "Eet vill be much safer ef zhou laid zhour eggs alongside residential dragons." _

Although the girl could not understand an inkling of Toothless's Dragonese, she didn't fail to notice that the island wasn't just inhabited by the dragons of Berk, but many other foreigners that must have emigrated from the Southern islands to lay their eggs. There were a multiple of species; Gronkles, Deadly Nadders, Hideous Zipplebacks, Terrible Terrors, Monstrous Nightmares, but many other species that she didn't even recognize.

The foreigners lifted their heavy heads and eyed her cautiously yet curiously through their unfamiliar irises. They must've not been very familiar with humans if they weren't affectionate or aggressive towards her. Nostrils expanded, taking in her scent. Ears pricked cautiously.

Though it was a fascinating discovery, Astrid huddled close to the Nightfury for protection as they passed these particular reptiles. After all, the wild ones were dangerous and unpredictable. But surely they would keep their distance with such a powerful creature at her side. So with this confidence in her safety, she took the time to observe the little bundles of life tucked snuggly between the mother dragons and the dirt.

"Wow..." She breathed in stupefaction as the animals tended lovingly to their eggs. "What _wouldn't_ Hiccup give to see this?" At the thought of her partner, what little smile her face warmly displayed faded away. She could vividly imagine his star-struck expression as he absorbed every single detail of this place.

Hiccup. At that point he must have been worried sick about her, and honestly, who could blame him? As much as enchanting this place was, skirting danger constantly hovered about. If the tables were turned, she'd be freaking out for sure.

"Alright, Toothless," she said as they continued their trek across the miniature island. "Take me to Stormfly."

A small snort was his indecipherable reply and she rolled her azure eyes, though a smile adorned her face. "Alright, I know. You just got here and wanna have your mate to yourself. I get that," she sympathized. "But I need to get back to MY mate, you see? And as stealthy as I normally am, it's still not safe for me out here. And since you're not going to take me back, Stormfly is my only other option." She gave him a swat on the rump for good measure as they approached the passel of Nadders.

They were huddled, perched near the edge of the island, which consisted of a steep drop-off leading into the surprisingly calm but freezing ocean. Astrid smiled and inhaled deeply, the aroma of sea salt strong and pungent. "Storm?"

She caught sight of a familiar Deadly Nadder that lay huddled over a nest of her own. Said dragon wearily lifted her spiked head at the sound of Astrid's voice and squawked, _"Ah, mah sweet little youngling! Present at last."_

Her human approached with jovial excitement, and Stormfly blithely accepted the female's tight embraces. She nuzzled back arduously, having had just...well...

Astrid gasped, peering into the little makeshift nest. Her dragon had laid eggs as well! Not rough and rocky like the other Nadder eggs she'd seen on her way over, but unnaturally sleek, shiny, and rather darkly shaded; an indigo. They were large, of course. About the size of a Chief-sized mug of ale. But at that moment, she could've cared less. "Stormfly!" She squealed, drawing her hands up to her mouth (which rarely happened).

"Oh...! My gosh! You're having...babies too?!" She gave another little cheer of joy and rested her forehead against the dragon's beak. "You're going to be a mother-Oh, Gods this is too close to be a coincidence!"

The girl leaned down to get a closer look but keeping a respectable distance from the oval objects. Even with a dilemma dangerous as the one she was in, it was hard to keep a smile off her face. "Man, I wish I knew when they would hatch!"

While that was going on, Toothless crooned in excitement and bounded over to the Nadder's side, licking her maw excessively. He was very impressed with his mate. It must have been quite scary for her to lay her eggs surrounded by those whose mate's were present.

"But-Wait," Astrid hesitated, desisting her joy to peer closer at the eggs and then back at the Nightfury, who was tenderly sniffing and nosing all three of said sleek eggs. Upon further inspection, she muttered, "You didn't-You... Um. Oh..."

It dawned on her and she bit her lip. "Guess that explains the, um..." Despite the circumstances, she was still rather bashful to mention it. "Heh. Fishlegs-well, none of us thought it was possible for... For... Um, yeah. So you guys are going to have little mutant babies. Haha. My sincerest congratulations," she rambled. "Oh, man, what's going on with me?"

Toothless cocked his head to the side and gave her a gummy smile, encouraging a bit of a smile to return to her face. But even his innocent, dumb-animal gesture couldn't calm her nerves.

Astrid knew she needed to focus on the task at hand, and that meant returning to Berk. She had to leave, and soon! Sunset was approaching fast over the horizon in deep, rich colors of orange, red, and hints of purple. If she didn't get back before dark, who knew if she could outlast the cold? With that in mind, she approached Stormfly.

"Hey, you don't think you can give me a ride back to Berk, do you girl?" Astrid sweetly asked, giving her pet a soft pat on the beak.

Without hesitation, she carefully maneuvered her way around the Nadder to her back and tried to mount her, but the dragon hissed in discomfort and jerked her body so that the girl faltered and stumbled back. Astrid stared once she righted herself, and then tried again, resulting in the same reaction from her pet.

"Hey! Storm-Stormfly! C'mon!" She grunted in annoyance, trying to swing her legs over the dragon's backside, only to be bucked off.

_"Leave me be, human," _the Nadder hissed, snootily turning her nose into the air. _"We can't go flying now! Ah'm tired as it is-and ya aren't dimwitted, ay?"_

"Don't you screech at me!" Astrid reprimanded with a snappish tone, thoroughly frustrated. Trying not to let her impatience get the best of her, she tucked a blonde strand of hair behind her ear and tried to reason with the Nadder. "Listen," she ordered, "I _have_ to get back. My kid's going to be due any day now, and an isolated island full of fire-breathing reptiles isn't the best environment for his-or her parturition, okay? It may be for a baby dragon, but I'm no dragon, get it? I-I'm not like you. I don't lay eggs!"

Stormfly patiently listened to her female's desperate little yips, but then she stole a glance at Toothless._ "What es she yapping about?" _She grumbled irritably. _"Ye'd think she'd be grateful that yeh brought her. After all, this _es_ th' finest place t' conceive young."_

"_Vell... Ah deed __leave her mate behind."_ If a Nightfury could shrug, Toothless would have done it. _"But Ah've seen her. Stealthy she ees, and as much as Ah love mah rider, he would not last a minuet." _He watched the girl whine and suggested,_ "Perhaps she ees hungry. Flying does vork up an appetite, does eet not?"_

They watched the human begin to angrily plead, tiny grunts and growls replacing whines and yips._ "Ah'll fetch us a meal,"_ Toothless offered, and he spread out his magnificent wings, taking off before Astrid could protest.

"Wait! No, Toothless! Aw, Freyja ABOVE!" The girl shrieked, beginning to grow frantic. Stormfly could sense her fear, and she gave the girl a tiny nudge of comfort. She understood that laying eggs was a scary process, especially for a first timer. "Stormfly, please. I know you're tired, but I gotta get back home!"

The dragon cocked her head to the side as the human female whined and pointed to north, where Berk was located miles away. _"Why would ya want t' go back t' that forsaken place?"_ The Nadder misinterpreted disapprovingly. The teenage girl whined once more at the dragon's refusal and yanked at her own hair.

_"Ah understand ye yearn fer yer mate," _Stormfly sympathized_, "but et's safer here for yer hatchlings. There ahre many watering-holes fer the eggs to implode, unlike that isle. And not t' mention, plenty o' fish." _

It wouldn't have taken long for anyone to realize the dragon was unaware of just how mammals operated and what childbirth was. Stormfly just confidently assumed the humans had a reciprocating functional her own species.

She softened when the rider whimpered once more, fear radiating off her body like a scent. It pained the Nadder to see the young rider so upset. Tired though she was, Stormfly extended a blue and golden hues wing over the fourteen-year-old's shivering form and nuzzled her contentedly. _"Do not despair, youngling. Ye'll see yer mate again. Egg-laying es a difficult process, but in the end, et'll all be worth et. Ye'll see. Besides, look how well Ah did!"_

The Nadder proudly gestured toward her eggs that lay comfortable in proximity and Astrid gave a weak smile in return, patting her beak. "I know, girl. You're going to be a mother. That's very, very good."

"_Speaking of, I'm going to be the mother of a dead kid if I don't get off this rocky mess," _Astrid contemplated despairingly. "_I gotta get back before it happens." _

With a boost of determination fueled by anxiety_,_ the blonde unsteadily got to her feet with the intention of exploring the area for willing transporters.

"I'll be back if I don't get a ride, girl," she sadly told the Nadder, who warbled in curiosity. "If I _don't_ return, well, it's either because I've been eaten or I'm back on Berk. But in my case, I'd take the latter." One pat on the beak later and Astrid walked off. Her toned arms were wrapped around herself to keep warm as the sun sunk into the sea.

Stormfly watched her go in concern and squawked, _"Et'd be wise t' stay put, youngling!" _The human glanced over her shoulder and gave a sad little grin, but nothing more as she carefully hopped over the small drop-off leading into the interior of the isle and out of sight. If the Nadder could shake her spiked head in aggravation. _"Humans, sometimes."_

_"Vah 'uman?" _Toothless gargled, swooping over the edge of the isle and landing roughly beside the female dragon, his maw chocked full of salmon. "_Blahaha_!" He spat out the fish, creating a slimy, oozing pile of dragon spit in accordance.

"_Hm_." He cocked his head and sniffed at the air. "_Where did zat girl go off to zis time?" _He inquired, bending down into the makeshift nest examine his eggs. Scent normal. He nudged all four. Strong shells. All warm. Good. He leaned back up, satisfied, and gave an affectionate nuzzle to his mate.

_"For reasons Ah cannot understand, she wants to return t' Berk," _Stormfly explained, crooning happily as Toothless playfully nipped at her spines._ "Et's strange. Ye've got everything ye need here: food, shelter, watering holes... What more couldja need?"_

"_Mm. She probably wants mah rider weez her," _Toothless decided, craning his neck to peer over the edge of the drop-off to watch the girl. She was strictly avoiding the foreigners and instead targeted the dragons she was most familiar with.

"_Strange. Dominant females can usually lay on zheir own. I deedn't zhink she **needed** her mate wiz her," _Toothless mused, a tad guilty.

Astrid was yipping and pleading with Barf and Belch, the Zippleback that belonged to the twins. When that didn't work, she tried Hookfang, whom she quickly learned was exceedingly aggressive whilst guarding his mate and eggs.

"_Thes es why the humans need us t' protect them,"_ Stormfly explained as the two dragons kept a close eye on the girl's whereabouts. "_As th' superior species, we need to keep an eye on th' youngling and keep certain that her hatchlings ahre kept safe as well."_

Toothless perked. "_Should I bring ze female back, zhen?"_ He asked, preparing to take flight, but Stormfly disagreed.

"_Just give it time,_" the Nadder advised with a squawk, laying her spiked head against the rocky ground. "_Soon she'll realize our intentions and embrace them."_

Though discouraged, Astrid didn't give up even after the sun finally sank into the horizon. The colorful hues, as well as the rare warmth in the salty sea-air, disappeared, leaving only the chilly blackness of night. She wanted to keep searching for the willing participant, but after multiple hours of interventions with an equal amount of rejects, she was close to calling it quits on the "flight back home" plan. Well... No matter! She just needed to think of something else. But in the meantime, she needed to find shelter on this Gods-forsaken place before she froze. At that point, it would be a few meager hours before dawn.

Astrid shivered uncontrollably, her short exhales evaporating in the arctic atmosphere. In the blackness of night with only the stars and the moon as a source of light, the defeated girl trudged back to the Nightfury and his mate.

Toothless's head jerked upward from his sleepy, curled form, but relaxed when he took in Astrid's scent. He scooted slightly away from a resting Stormfly and lifted his wing, inviting the girl the space between them, with the eggs. "_Come on een! Zhere's plenty of room!"_

Astrid stared cautiously at the Toothless who'd growl if she got too close to Stormfly on Berk, but would invite her to nestle with his unhatched hatchlings. She silently rejected the offer until a gust of wind numbed her senses, causing her teeth to chatter._ "Be careful weeth zee little ones," _the dragon warned as the female approached.

Toothless seemed pleased as Astrid sent him a death glare and scurried beneath his wing, careful not to bump into any of the eggs. She settled down between the two reptiles in the dirt much like a baby dragon with its parents. Laying in the fetal position, she was surprised to find that the dirt surprisingly warm, completely foil to the rest of the freezing mess of an isle. It was uncomfortable, but... The girl sighed in content, relishing in the warmth that radiating from their scaly bodies.

Alright, that was a plus. Astrid yawned tiredly and rested her body against the Nadder, careful not to spike her scales with the tendrils of her skirt. After that, all was quiet on the tiny isle-if one exempted the huffs and snort from the occasional Nightmare or the gargle of a Gronkle.

The Viking listened quietly until she was sure that both Stormfly and Toothless were asleep. The Deadly Nadder's ribcage rose and fell with each breath, and every now and then, Toothless would twitch in his sleep, captivated by the dreamworld.

Now, Astrid thought sleepily, all there was left to do was to come up with an escape plan and pray to the Gods that she would make it back before her child was brought into the world.

Her baby. If he or she decided that NOW would be a good time to be born, oh, Gods, please let him or her li-! She jolted, her breath suddenly gone.

For a moment, all went still. Silence lay like a down-filled duvet over the area, muffling the slightest sound and creating an atmosphere of total tranquillity. Astrid shifted her head, a white piercing noise suddenly penetrating her once quiescent ears. Stars. That's what appeared before her eyes. Little pixies floating randomly, and the girl still couldn't breathe.

Her thoughts, scrambling and wriggling her mind into mush. She could barely think, "_What's happening...?_" Panic, fear, nervousness? At that moment, she could hardly pinpoint her emotion. Everything was fuzzy, and the drone in her ears grew louder. Even as she lay, the world around her seemed to tilt, and then her body went limp.

Astrid frowned down at herself. What was going on? It was as if she no longer had any control over her being- "UUGH!" Completely out of nowhere, a sharp stab of pain struck her lower abdomen, making her loudly hiss through gritted teeth and curl up in on herself. The white noise disappeared and the sounds of nature returned. The pain... Oh Gods... Astrid hissed once again and curled up. It felt _damp_ down there...

"Wh-Wha? Ow..." Astrid moaned in anguish, tightly pressing her thighs together in attempt to lessen the pain. Applying pressure to wounds? That's what one would do, right? Right?! Because what was happening now had nothing to do with-with _that_, right?! _RIGHT_?! Oh, Thor.

"Okay, okay. Chill out, Astrid," she scolded herself, and she would have chuckled at the pun, if not for another wave of pain. "Just-Just wait it out. Everything's going to be fine. Everything's going to be-OW!"

This time, a dull ache began to throb around her lower abdomen, causing her to bite her bottom lip so hard that she drew blood. Redness began to overtake the whites of her eyes and shut them quickly as tears began to rim her eyelids.

_"Alright, ENOUGH with the crying! You're fine, you're fine!" _But as the aches began to multiply around the base of her body, Astrid grew nervous. Really nervous. This wasn't the run-of-the-mill stomach cramp. This was different. The aches would start low and radiate up her belly and around into her lower back. These weren't...labor contractions, were they?

...

Miles away on the nearly-frozen isle of Berk, Hiccup lay awake in his wooden bed. The quietness was almost tangible, no rustle of clothing, his breathing slow and barely audible, and even the once creaking of the building settling was stilled as though to order. His once bright emerald stared robotically at the dark rafters of the ceiling, and he pursed his chapped lips together as he contemplated his plan.

It was settled. At the crack of dawn when the determined rays of light touched Hooligan territory, he would stealthily sneak down to the docks, grab a small boat, and leave. Simple enough, and though it wasn't exactly a good plan, there were times where impulsiveness was a virtue. That, and he was desperate. And so, in his frantic mind, any impulsive plan seemed palpable. The icebergs, however, would most likely prove to be a bit more of an issue than he thought, but he tried not to think too hard about it.

Hiccup yawned tiredly, trying to will himself to rest, but his senses were on danger-mode and refused to cooperate. "_You should really get some shut-eye," _he advised to himself, limply shifting to his side and curling up in the fetal position. "_After all, you need to get up early and commence the big master plan."_

The fourteen-year-old shivered and wrapped the thin quilt around himself, yearning for the comforting warmth of Astrid's toned body against his own lithe one. The bed, once deemed too small for the both of them to share, now seemed too roomy. Gods, what if it remained that way for the rest of his life?

_"If I can't find her..." _He thought with great apprehension_, "No. I'll find her. I have to try." _But even as he assured himself, there was a small, irritating part of him that suggested maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be able to find his partner. What if he never got to meet his son or daughter? The person he'd been impatiently waiting to love. He forcefully swallowed down that part of him, determined not to dwell on any negative thoughts before he made his escape.

So, pushing aside the dread of becoming a childless widower, Hiccup squirmed uncomfortably for the rest of the night before finally falling victim to fatigue, and he plummeted into a restless sleep.

"..."

Not even a few hours later, Hiccup awakened from a dreamless sleep to find rays of light streaming through the cracks of the ceiling. He lay motionless and stared, rubbed his bloodshot eyes, and then stared some more as it dawned on him.

It-It couldn't be dawn. The light only touched his house like this in the very late afternoon. "I...slept in?" He croaked, his body slowly tensing, heart thumping crazily as it dawned on him. "Oh... Oh-Gods-I overslept! Oh, nono-"

_Thump_!

His eyes went impossibly wide. Was that...?

_Thump_.

Hiccup slowly sat up, internally screaming for one more indication that that noise was intentional and not some sort of-

_Thu-Thump!_

That did it. The biggest grin Hiccup had ever worn overtook his freckled face and he joyously shrieked, "TOOTHLESS!" Oh, the pure joy was overwhelming!

The Nightfury was back! He wasn't sure why, and he clueless as to how Astrid had gotten a handle on the dragon, but he didn't care! Astrid would never let Toothless return without bringing her along! She was back! Both of them! They had to be! Rocketing out of bed and literally tripping over his own feet to scramble down the stairs, Hiccup's heart soared.

He ignored the blast of crispy cold air that struck his body and chilled his bones as he exited his home. He practically skipped as he rounded the corner, where he expected to see the goofy old Nightfury with Astrid safely perched atop. ...But what he _did_ discover was more than disappointing.

"I knew you'd come b-ACK!" To Hiccup's everlasting irritation, his prosthetic failed him once again and he went sprawling on his back against the ice.

After a moment's pause, he groaned and held a hand against his forehead. His supine form was aching terribly from the impact. But still... Hiccup opened his eyes with anticipation and swiveled his gaze to the rooftop. But rather than the familiar dragon and person Hiccup had grown to love, it was Stoick the Vast himself. He paused his hammering and glanced down at the sprawled out child.

"Morning, son!" He greeted cheerily, oblivious to Hiccup's recent pratfall.

Hiccup himself lay on the ice for a few more moments before realization set in, and he sighed sadly. He had really thought it'd be Toothless and Astrid, but hey, that's what happened if one's hopes soared too high.

"Oh, hey. Dad," he greeted crestfallenly, awkwardly rising from his fallen stance. "_At least I didn't knock myself out that time,"_ he thought bitterly.

"Glad you're up," the father continued, unaware of his son's intentions. He mounted the ladder leaning up against the side of the house and began to climb down. "I was looking for your helmet," he informed the boy.

Hiccup visibly flinched, remembering in horror the headpiece he'd lost on his flight with Toothless the other day. His father had given that special to him before the "Kill Ring" escapade, and even though it was forged from half of his mother's breast-plate, he was still upset to find it missing.

"My-My helmet?" Hiccup inquired innocently, praying his father would take then news well if he should ever tell. That the helmet was floating out in the middle of the ocean. "_Maybe I can pick it up on my way over to Astrid."_

"'Course, yer helmet!" Stoick reminded him as he dismounted the ladder, "Odin needs a place to put your goodies! Where else is he going to put them? Your stockings? Ha!"

Hiccup weakly chuckled along, but he couldn't help but stare in disbelief the man. He meant no offense to his father-after all, the man's simply wanted to cheer his child up, but did he really believe that Hiccup cared about the gifts at this point? That the gifts would erase whatever happened?

"Right, I'll...get on that...great," the boy muttered sourly, turning away.

Stoick frowned, having recognized the acetic tone to his son's voice, and he huffed, "Hold on."

Hiccup visibly sagged and turned. Trying to appear as comforting as a parent as possible, Stoick regally stood before the boy and tried to keep his gruff voice at a soothing level. "Alright," he coaxed. "C'mon then. What's on your mind? Out with it."

"Well," Hiccup sighed, knowing that there was no point to lie about his feelings. "It's already been a day, Dad. I just... I just thought Toothless would be back by now." He tried to keep his voice emotionless, though his father detected a slight waver in the nasally voice.

Stoick lowered his eyes and sighed once more, laying a gargantuan hand on his son's lanky shoulder. "Listen," he said, "I know what it's like to miss someone you love this time of year." He gave a gentle jostle to Hiccup's shoulder when the boy lowered his gaze. "But what do you do when they can't be here with us? We celebrate them. And I imagine that's just what Astrid would want you to do."

Hiccup thought about this and glanced back up at his father, whose grip only got tighter. "Am I right?" He asked.

There was no escaping it anyway. "You're right," Hiccup replied, lifting his head a bit.

"Good!" Stoick encouraged with satisfaction, giving his son a rough punch to the already bruised appendage. He turned back to the ladder, hammer in tow. "Now go get that helmet!" He ordered without a second glance. "We've already had enough disappointment around here."

"Well, gee. No kidding, _Tyr_," Hiccup muttered under his breath while massaging his aching shoulder.

The young boy sighed, feeling guilty about what he was planning to do, which was to leave his father a worried mess while his own life was on the line. It was then, he realized, that he might not return. The idea was so repellent that was able to thrust it from his mind.

"Hey, Dad?" He spoke suddenly.

"Mm?" Stoick turned absentmindedly, almost halfway up the ladder.

"Um..." Hiccup's mind went blank. What did you say to a person who you were about to abandon and might die in the process? "I'm-I..." Stoick gazed at him expectantly, so he laughed and put on his best smile. "Sorry about taking off like that... I guess I... I don't know. Just, thanks for trying to help. Er...Happy Snoggletog?"

"...You too," his father returned, and took on a sorrowful tone. "Hiccup, I'm very sorry about Astrid. I hope that Toothless will...well, have a change of heart."

There was an awkward silence until Hiccup clasped his hands together. "Okay, thank you! Well, anyways, I'm going to, uh..." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Yep." He began to back away until transitioning to a trot. "I'll see you later!" Stoick watching his son's retreating form with slight suspicion and Hiccup added a quiet little, "Maybe..."

...

Now even Astrid had to admit that the probability of her body preparing itself for birth was great, and that certainly dimmed her incredulity. "Not now," she whispered, as if to will her body to stop. "Not now, not now, not now. Please! Not now!"

She didn't understand, as if her brain short-circuited and needed to be rebooted. Around her, everything was in fast-forward while she was motionless in the middle of it all. How could this happen? She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes until she saw nothing but sparkles.

Toothless yawned sleepily, his comfortable sleep disturbed by Astrid's constant gritted whimpers. He'd been sleeping quite peacefully with his mate and their hatchlings between them. Speaking of which, his smiled a gummy sink and nosed the eggs. All was well, and he puffed out with pride, looking quite majestic against the horizon.

It was nearly dawn at this point. The blackness of night was slowly beginning to fade, a deep scarlet replacing it. But it was hard to tell, due to the abundance of clouds veiling what little color the sky possessed.

"Oh, Freyja!" The girl seethed, clutching her throbbing abdomen. Who knew something so little could hurt this much? "I-I gotta get back..." She had to, less she die if she stayed here much longer.

At the soft rustle of movement beside her, Astrid craned her stiff neck and found Toothless snuffling and nudging her curiously; her belly in particular. The girl grinned nervously and patted her protruding stomach with one hand and tried to push his prodding snout away with the other. Once he got the hint and shuffled back to give her some space, she tried to elucidate.

"_This_ is why I have to get back," she explained tiredly. "My baby-Hiccup's baby is coming. _Hiccup's_!" She repeated. "Please, Toothless. Take me back."

The Nightfury continued to sniff at her, but cocked his scaly head to the side as the human female began to exert a numerous amount of fear. She croaked and whined at him, clutching his sniffling snout with her cold, red little paws. He could tell she was in pain, but there was little he could do about it, let alone construe what she was actually saying.

"_Ah_ _trust zat you ahre carrying ze young of zhour mate!"_ Toothless acknowledged happily. Leaning down for a closer observation, he inhaled deeply. "_And zhou ahre due! Et's about time, I should say!"_

"Toothless, can you understand me?" Astrid pleaded, her anguish skyrocketing. "It's not like I've given birth before! You gotta take me back to Berk where there are actual human beings to help me!"

"_Don't fret, youngling_," Toothless warbled in his best soothing tone. "_Ze pain shall pass_."

The next hour consisted of Astrid's constant pleading, begging, and yes, threatening. But what use did threats have when the being in question couldn't even understand what she was saying? At the hour's end, the labor contractions continued to cause discomfort and dull aches in her back and lower abdomen, along with pressure in her pelvis. They moved in a wave-like motion from the top of the uterus to the bottom, and by that point in time, she was starting to panic. Dare she say, almost giving up on the chance of getting back to Berk. Not because of the faint of heart, but because there was literally no one who could help her.

Never before had Astrid had such a longing for Hiccup to be there with her. She didn't care if he saw her wail, cry, and scream. She didn't give a Terror's behind if he saw her weakness. She just wanted _help_. She wanted her son or daughter to be greeted by the smiling faces of both his or her parents in a safe, warm room, not the deathly cold and surrounded by a group of fire-breathing reptiles. This was madness!

With her lasting strength, Astrid shakily maneuvered herself to a standing position and began to wobble, trying to ignore the mounting pain. If IT was going to happen on this Gods-forsaken island, then Gods-darn it, she was going to do it. Dragons or not.

She had helped befall the largest demon in history on the backs of once-considered enemies. Compared to that, she tried to reason, perhaps birth wouldn't be too horrible? Another wave of pain disapproved that thought, and Astrid tried to sit down, but it was more like a stumble and fall that left her in a trembling heap in the dirt.

Stormfly took a start at the noise and awoke. She squawked and nudged the girl affectionately when she noticed the pain said girl was experiencing.

Astrid sighed and halfheartedly patted the attention-seeking beak. It stunk to be a lone warrior sometimes, and this impotent situation was the culmination of paradigms.

...

Albeit it was rather late in the day with the usual amount of strolling Vikings, Hiccup nearly managed to sneak through town without being seen. That is, until a certain blacksmith caught sight of the boy and waved him over to the Smithy.

"Hiccup!" He greeted, and the auburn-haired teen managed to give a little smile in return. He did wish Gobber would quicken the pace a bit; he had to get going. "Et's nice t' see ya up en about!" The man commentated, in the process of gathering up a number of frozen bolas in his arms. "Headin' somewhere?"

Hiccup shrugged, trying to act casual. "Shyeah... Heh. You know me; I'm just, remising, you know?" He began to inch away from the counter, praying that the older Viking would get the hint and let him go.

"Aye, Ah do know," Gobber smirked as he turned his back. "Well, go on. Get out of here! And don't forget to bundle up! Bucket's predicting a storm!" He pointed out toward the ocean, where indeed, an abundance of ominous clouds were gathering.

Hiccup, confused that the man was letting him off this easily, gave a sigh of thanks and took off. He ran quickly, but not too quickly to draw attention to himself. And that was quite a feat if you were the son of the Chief, as well as the Dragon Conqueror.

One advantage about having a uninteresting appearance was that nobody could really single him out in a crowd. And that was handy now that he needed to escape town.

After tactically corralling a pair of oars from the storage house in the heart of the village, Hiccup begun his attempt to discreetly exit the village without being seen. No such luck, because the boy was spotted by his cousin, who was purposely looking for him, right away.

"Hey, HEY! Hiccup!" The much burlier Viking called, jogging to catch up to the slightly younger one.

Hiccup couldn't help but roll his eyes in agitation. He still felt an enduring sense of resentment toward the other male, so instead of politely replying, he merely gave a grunt of acknowledgment and walked on, trying to keep a latch onto the oars with his frozen fingers.

Snotlout ignored the discount and kept at the other teenager. He was always quite persistent, and was determined to patch things up with his antsy family member whether Hiccup liked it or not.

"Hey man, wait up!" Without the acquiescence of his cousin's dislike of touchiness, he roughly latched onto Hiccup's shoulder, and tugged him to a stop. This intemperate disturbance caused Hiccup to let out a yelp of surprise and he nearly lost his grip on the oars, to which Snotlout took note of.

"Huh, what're those for?" He asked, and Hiccup swallowed.

"D'ahh..."

"Goin' fishing, Dragon boy?" Snotlout teased to try and lighten the mood a bit... Which failed miserably.

Hiccup's shoulders went rigid and the atmosphere became tense. "In...In a way," he intoned, shrugging his scrawny shoulder away from the larger boy's grip. "Ah-Hopefully not."

"You-You're going after Astrid," Snotlout offered casually, not technically being serious. So it surprised him when Hiccup replied.

"Um... Uh, y-yeah. That's correct. Bye."

"Oh, wait." Snotlout blinked stupidly and took a start. "You actually are? Wh-? You can't do that!"

Hiccup whipped around so fast during his mid-Astrid so quickly that Snotlout nearly crashed into him. "Why not?" He asked angrily.

"Uh, maybe because you'll die before nightfall?" Snotlout pointed out, for once having a legitimate counter.

Hiccup pursed his lips and gave him a sarcastic glare. "Thank you for summing that up," he muttered, turning his back to the other male. "Now if you'll excuse me-"

"Hold on!" Snotlout exclaimed, jumping in front of Hiccup's path, once again nearly crashing into him.

"What? Snotlout! What are you doing!" Hiccup cried out in shock, trying his best to veer around the much larger Viking, but to no avail. The lopsided oars so precariously held in his frozen fingers didn't help.

"In light of what I did," Snotlout said, "the _least_ I could do is send you to your own death."

"In _light_ of what you did," Hiccup spat, trying to shove aside the boy, surprising Snotlout, "the _least_ you could do is move aside."

Snotlout shook his head in defiance. "Psh. No way, man. I'll tell your dad before you go."

His statement caused Hiccup to freeze, his intake of air exhaling in hard little pants. "Fine then," he said, freeing a hand to give a flippant wave, "Go ahead and spill the bönor."

"Spill it? Heh, heh, heh..." Snotlout laughed irritably and leaned in close, a thundercloud expression adorning his face. "I'm no snitch, but you're taking it too far," he growled lowly.

Hiccup snorted. "Really, Snotlout?" He laughed in mock disbelief at his cousin. "You're the one reprimanding _me_ for taking things too far?" He narrowed his emerald eyes. "Well, fine. Tell the Chief," He spat, taking Snotlout's hesitance and finally managing to shove past. "Don't want to keep anymore _secrets_, right?" He muttered under his breath as he stalked away, but Snotlout caught it and blanched.

"Hiccup, wait!" His cousin groaned and whipped around once more.

"_What!?"_

Snotlout bit his lip and reached out a hand. Hiccup recoiled as if the other male was going to strike him. "I-I didn't mean," Snotlout began, biting his bottom lip. "I came to," he cleared his throat, "to uh, you know..." Hiccup blinked, misinterpreting Snotlout's failing apology for something else.

"I know it's stupid and well, crazy," he admitted, "but I'm not going to just sit here while Astrid's out _there_, okay?"

"Yeah, but-" Snotlout paused. "I don't think I-uh, you're dad could afford to lose YOU too."

At this, Hiccup faltered and the oars slightly slipped from his loosening grip. Snotlout hoped this would make him tick and change his mind, but Hiccup straightened and declared, "He won't lose me. I'll be back."

"Hiccup," Snotlout warned, giving the other boy a pointed look.

"I'm going," Hiccup insisted quietly, his gaze downcast. "See you later, Snotlout." His tone was slightly apologetic as he turned his back and continued his quest for the docks, leaving his cousin by his lonesome.

Said cousin clenched his fists, an embarrassing amount of worry overtaking the rest of his senses. "How selfish can that fishbone be?" He seethed. "Seriously, he's got family here that wants him home, he just has to go risk his life for his... Oh."

_"Sigh... Another botched attempt at redemption. Man, you're horrible at this."_

"Go suck rocks," Snotlout snapped, stomping after Hiccup. He had decided to follow, just to see if his cousin actually followed through with the plan. And so far, it seemed so... Hiccup sped forward with no signs of stopping until Fishlegs entered the picture.

Hiccup kept at it with determination and was about to round a corner, only to crash into a large woven basket filled to the brim with salmon. It took a moment for Hiccup to register that the holder of said basket was Fishlegs, but and complete foil to his keen observation skills, he failed to process that the larger boy had paled.

"Oh, Fishlegs," Hiccup greeted casually. "You hungry?" He guestured toward the basket with the end of his oars. "There's enough fish to feed a dragon."

To his surprise, Fishlegs let out an extremely nervous and suspicious laugh. "Oh-ho! A dragon! That's-heh," he stuttered with a chuckle, slowly turning and hobbling down one of the large balconies on the side of the cliff. Out of curiosity and yes, suspicion, Hiccup decided to follow him and investigate. Fishlegs HAD been acting strange for the last several days...

What he discovered was a very skittish Fishlegs butting open the double-doors to the Ingerman stable and slipping inside for a few moments. Hiccup quietly followed, sneaking down and hiding behind one of the large rafters with the oars.

When Fishlegs came back out again, the basket of fish was missing. Fishlegs looked left and right before giggling mischievously to himself as he tip-toed away, failing to notice the scrawnier child behind the pillar.

Hiccup silently crept out and gingerly placed the oars against the side of the stable. He quickly snuck a glance at Fishlegs' retreating form before opening the doors-

-And let out a high-pitched scream, for what else could he do when a large Gronkle was about to smack him head on at a hundred miles per hour? Could Gronkles even fly that fast?

One moment Hiccup was stationary on the ground, the next he was face-planted into a sea of rough scales, and when he finally pulled his face away, he took a start. "Meatlug?" He gasped in disbelief.

The dragon's amber irises glanced at him, but then narrowed in determination as she flew on. Hiccup gasped and clung at the reptile in a death grip, his heart beating nearly as fast as her wingbeat rate.

They did not go unseen. Meatlug flew right overhead of where Snotlout was standing and he immediately caught sight of the peculiar pair and shouted in confusion, "HICCUP!? WHERE THE HECK ARE YA GOIN'?!"

"I HAVE NO IDEAAAA!" Hiccup wailed back as they flew out over the sea, clutching helplessly at Meatlug's head like it was a lifeline. Snotlout watched them go with the biggest wide-eyed expression he'd ever worn, and blanched.

"Oh Thor," he moaned, "seriously?!"

...

Astrid's protruding belly throbbed for hours on end, her sense of dread growing with every passing minute. She remained where she was in the nest of her pet dragon and her mate, curled up beside the eggs as if she were a hatchling herself.

Her once clean blonde hair had gone rather greasy and kinked, and she was sheepish to acknowledge her griminess. Of course, she wasn't exactly spotless back on Berk, but she knew about hygiene and went to the bath house every week like her mother wanted her to.

Her mother... Her heart clenched with the repellent idea that she would most likely never see her mother again. Not if she died during labor. She would leave her mother alone, her father, _Hiccup_-and take their child with her. Astrid sniffed and curled up, burying her face in her knees as best she could in her condition.

Why was the last thing she ever did with her mother was _fight_!? Why did she have to be so aggressive and snappish?! Why?! Why was this happening?! ...The last time she spoke to her mother was way back then, and now she may never get the chance to reconnect with the older woman, to apologize with the upmost sincerity.

...And not because Helga deserved it or anything. NO! But... There was that nagging little empty space within that had bothered her ever since she'd initiated the cold, stoniness between her mother and herself.

"Dear Odin, please let everything go along smoothly," she prayed, shutting her tired eyes. "For... For him...her...whatever. I just don't want... I want him to be safe..."

...

_"Hiccup..."_

...

**Author's note: ****VOTE ON THE POLL! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM!**

**Should the baby be a BOY, GIRL, TWINS? I don't know which route to take! One of them WILL end in tragedy, so be careful what you choose! Help me my fellow Fanrats, by casting YOUR vote on my new poll, or post a review if you don't have an account (although I get the last word and everything it would still be nice to get more feedback)!**

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**So thank you, A Person Who Likes Comedy, AfricaWebbert13, Angel9twisted, Angela Arulia, Angela Magic, ArmyHumphrey, Awaodori, Azawrath, Bollingjake, Blue663**, **CJ825, CJCforlife, Chancey74, Checkingdude, CheyenneDaMelonLord, Childatheart28, DJDeadpool, Dark Phoenix Reborn, Dearest Lady, Dialga213, Diml, DisneyandDreamworksfangirl, DragonRider97, Phoniexdragon, DragonTrainerBoss, Dragonchick101, Dragunking1, Dynamite403, Eiks88, Ezylryb, Fireember345, FluentFletcher2, Geheylan, Guardian of Azarath, HugsandBugsSmileyface, Husker75bsg, Hybrid301, IceBlue13, InfinitiumAce, IselforshortIII, JD-httydFan, JPNice, Jabba1555, Kaihaku No Iroke, Kei Ikari, Koollolly, Lei' Raeyna, Liger48, Lightclaw's Shadow, Litwick723, MHJohn64th, Mdogs, Medved, Midnight' Dragon Conqueror, Midnight Hikari, Midoriko-sama, Midsully, nabeelrejis, Motonari9116, Mrlynum, Natellah, Night doctor, OiseauLune -Moon Bird, PhaylonTorkruin, De-BardatBoston,** **HiccupHaddockIII, PrincessOfAtlantis101, Princess Sakura Luna, PuppeteerOllie, RNM074, Raider7997, Rattytheugly, Raul Buenrostro, RepLicaLover, RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley, Rinter215, RossSaltmer, SMr. Freeze, SapphireWolf2002, Scorpion6955, Sgt. McMaf, SharKohen, Skeek622, SoryHaddock, Spacechaser12, Spartan-A716, Squeegeeslayer9001, StoryGirl1997, Storyspinnerbah, SukiLei, Tank435, TellaCarie, Thanatos The Forsaken, The Burning Pillar, TheDarkwriter7, TheForesakenTwist, TheIronGhost1223, TheNextShadow, The Orion Project, The Red Shirt, TheShredDoctor, The little Cullen, TigerLily the Wild, TomBoyBookGirl, WikiSorcerer, WolfsHonor, Words-drip-from-my-fingertips, Yalla, Yonna9queen, acw28, alon2442, alpha darkwolf, amberdoodles, ankh0r, bale626, blackenrose, 1989, brianvaldez, bubblezgirly1515, chat noire, .5, colla voce, crimsonninja117, damfan, .3, darknessfalls1321, dragonsaremyguardians, duck liet, estefania5683, frostonthewindow, goodowen2001, gunner1003, haleda07, httydisbae, huntergo123, jackgameer, jadesunset, los-diablo, maameabonofosumensah, mariemarc44, mistyElk0, Kameron Rocks,** **mypettaylor1, nankeuthan, nightfury153, outlanderx, plinplan, roughgunner, rquaza1, saberstorm, shadowanime1, sheppard741, shintablack, skybonbon230, sleepy li0n, starr1095, supersandman86, tmroc725, tzu753, wedobeamurican, x1tears1X, and last but not least, zorna. **

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	12. Mishap by Figulo

**Author's Note: HEEERE COMES THE BIIIRTH... OH, HALLELUJAH! IT HAS FIIIIIIIINALLYYYYYY ARRIIIIIIIIIVED! I counted the votes, and it's all been confidentially confirmed. So... HEEERE COMES THE DEEEAAAATH, I'MGONNAPISSOFFSOMANYPEOPLEEE! AND 39 REVIEWS FOR LAST CHAPTER!? I've never been so happy! :D You Fanrats are amazing folks... God bless you all! Updating is going to be a real pain in the butt since my mom is making me study for SATs everyday, plus a two-week camp out, plus a possible job at Bounce U, but as long as I stay focused, there should be no problem. At least, no problem relevant to the time it takes to upload everything. Because believe me... It takes a while. So sorry for the long wait!  
**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do NOT own the "How To Train Your Dragon' franchise. Why is that unfortunate? Because I would have made a rockin' better sequel.**

**There is to be no swearing in my story. Not even when Astrid gives birth.**

**_Chapter Twelve: Mishap by Figulo _**

Labor was called the hour of agony for a reason. For one, it took forever. And two, it hurt. Badly. So if Astrid ever doubted the pain with a scoff in earlier life, she took it all back. Because as of right then, Astrid couldn't feel much of anything except the affliction that constantly churned her poor insides like an out-out-control eggbeater. It made her sympathetic toward the mothers back on Berk who had to experience the same pain she was experiencing now.

Her exterior was no better than her interior; her pale skin having gone several shades lighter and felt quite hot to the touch beneath the thin layer of grime. Outdoor temperatures had plummeted as the day dragged on, and Astrid was beginning to experience the harsh weather of her home.

Said weather certainly hadn't improved for the better. The hostile winds had picked up a little after the pains had begun, and now whipped around the masses of dragons in the area, shifting dirt and disturbing the exhausted mothers. At least, Astrid thought so. The heaping piles of clouds had blocked out any hopeful rays of sun, making it surprisingly dark for midday.

In accordance with the pain, Astrid felt physically hot, sticky, and mentally clammy with the knowledge that it would only get worse. With as much dignity as she could corral, the female lay moaning on her side, succumbed to the dry, crumbly dirt that was her dragon's nest.

"Oh...Gods..." The Viking moaned through harshly gritted teeth, her dirty fingernails tearing at the ground. Drops of sweat beaded at her forehead and trickled down her face. The area between her legs felt like a weight had been dropped upon it as the convulsions mercilessly persisted. "Why...do these things have...to happen...to me?" Another contraction caused her to hiss and clench at her abdomen. "My aunt was the only person in our family who was cursed by a God... Not _all_ of the Gods hate me!"

Toothless, who had been currently snoozing away with his mate, perked at the human's little noises and playfully nuzzled her cheek, to which she glared and jerked away from his touch. She was in no mood for his comfort. Why couldn't he have just taken her back to Berk while he had the chance? Now she was in no shape to fly, and the chances of her survival, as Fishlegs would put it, were dwindling into single digits. And not only that, but she was envious of the reptile, who was physically built to stand against the harsh winds and outlast the ice. His inner furnace and thick scales served as a reliable prevention of any sort of cold from disturbing him, and it annoyed her that she wasn't manufactured the same way.

"Quit it!" Astrid snapped, anger and frustration getting the better of her. With a resounding thump, she shoved his lumbering head away. "I don't need your stupid sympathy!"

Toothless seemed surprised by her frustration and blinked in response to her yipping. But then he nudged her tight torso again, nearly overturning her entire body. "Wha-? _Freyja_, Toothless, that's ENOUGH!" She shouted, her toned arms cushioning her fall as he shoved her aside.

Staring with wide, azure eyes, Astrid scrambled back with what little strength she possessed. Toothless snuffled around a bit at the spot she'd been resting, among his unhatched hatchlings.

With fatherly care, he took to nosing each of his sleek eggs and gave a soft nuzzle ...Before taking them all into his gummy maw, one by one.

Astrid blinked and her heart dropped to her aching stomach. "What...are you doing?" She blankly intoned, wishing that she had the Book of Dragons to research. Toothless wasn't planning to make a meal out of his own children, was he? The repulsive thought made her feel quite squeamish indeed, but Stormfly seemed undisturbed. What would provoke Toothless to do such a thing? Had Astrid somehow...tainted the eggs with her presence? If this were true, then he would not be only species to do such a thing. In fact, some carnivorous birds would throw their children out of the nest if they caught the scent of a- *gulp* -human.

"Then again," she thought with intense misery, wiping away the beads of sweat that were collecting at her forehead, "Vikings near the mainland aren't much better. They kick out the runts and hiccups as babes and leave 'em to die."

Toothless's cheeks bulged outward with the eggs and he gargled incoherently. Stormfly stirred and tiredly lifted her head, her wings giving a communal flutter.

"_Go on! Go on! Do th' honors!"_ The Nadder warmly insisted, completely oblivious to Astrid's despair. "_Ah am a tad out of et."_

"_Zhatshhh fahsnsh_," Toothless replied, a trickle of drool escaping his maw. Words alone couldn't possibly describe the sheer amount of excitement the Nightfury was experiencing at that moment. Such an emotion could only be interpreted by his body movements. He was jittery, restless, and apparently couldn't wait to get moving.

The Viking decided not to interfere and watched with a curious eye as the midnight dragon bounded over to one of the many small, circular watering holes of the island. With a soft "ker-plunk", he let the sleek eggs tumble from his mouth and splash into the salty water. Astrid's jaw went slack. What-What was that all about?! Why would he just dump his eggs into freezing cold water? And she took note that it was a bit odd that the tiny pools of water were frozen solid wall the water surrounding the island was all ice. Perhaps they were springs?

Satisfied, Toothless sat back on his haunches, and Astrid forced herself to sit up so she could get a clearer view. A moment later, a soft, muffled rumbling could be heard associated with the soft rumbling of the Earth. Astrid shifted uncomfortably once she noticed that many of the dragons had begun doing the exact same thing. But why submerge?

"Eiei?" In the split second Astrid's ocean eyes were drawn to a different area of the island, something quite small and new clumsily emerged from the water by Toothless's feet, surrounded by a iridescent stream of bubbles. The girl's platinum eyebrows rose, and she then squinted in confusion.

Such a creature had most likely never been seen before by the eyes of mankind, and she was sure of that, because there wasn't a single species of dragon she had seen in the Book of Dragons that looked anything like this one.

The creature opened its tiny, gummy maw and gurgled, its miniature claws digging into the short ridge of the pool to pull itself out. The disorient, tiny wings on its back unsteadily fluttered about, and Astrid guiltily choked back a laugh by covering her mouth with her hand. What a creature!

Toothless warbled and retracted his teeth so that he could carefully take hold of the hatchling by the scruff of the neck, and he bounded back over to where Astrid and Stormfly lay. With a satisfied warble, he gingerly plopped the tiny thing by the Nadder's side, where she ecstatically greeted the newborn by dragging her warm tongue over its little head.

Astrid couldn't contain the disbelieving and heartfelt gasp that had been building up within her as Toothless galloped back over to retrieve yet another Nightfury... Nadder...thing. And another.

Two more baby dragons found their way back to the dirt nest by his direct guidance, and they all snuggled up by their mother's side, evidently exhausted and cold from their polar swim. But when Toothless went back to make his last round, the fourth one, something went wrong, and he seemed incredibly crestfallen and plodded his way back.

Astrid watched in shock as he gently set the last hatchling down, not with its mother, but rather a few feet beyond the nest. Toothless warbled unhappily and nudged at the tiny, unmoving form with his snout and nipped at its top two sensors to see if it would react. It's gullet was practically on display, maw open wide, its eyes screwed shut, limbs splayed out, stiff. Unfortunately, the newborn being lay still, completely unresponsive, and Toothless crooned despairingly.

Astrid clutched her belly and moaned as another wave of pain crashed through her poor spaghetti-like insides. "Oh... Toothless, I'm so sorry..." She whispered. Although she was furious with the dragon, she would never wish death upon one of his children. Her blood-shot eyes regretfully soaked up the image of the small dragon, and her body shook. What had gone wrong? Surely, it hadn't drowned. All of the other hatchlings were getting along swimmingly (pun very much intended), including the ones from other families.

But wait-! Movement! Yes! The limbs of the little form were shifting and twitching. A small, airy little gasp escaped its minuscule maw and its emerald eyes craned upward to meet its magnificent father above. Astrid let out a long, drawn-out breath, realizing that she had been holding it in.

The coupled dragons, however, were not too content.

"_Et's a dud, Ah guess,_" Stormfly squawked stiffly, spikes extended in disappointment. If a dragon could sympathetically sigh, the Nadder would have wasted no time in doing so. "_Pity_." She leaned her head down to sniff at the tiny hatchling and reared back at the scent of death. "Poor thing never would have made it."

The limp form literally made Astrid's stomach clench in the most awful way possible. Especially when the devastated father's jade eyes locked with hers, and his whole body seemed to droop as he whined. Either the hatchling would freeze to death, unable to escape the cold to its mother's warmth, or it simply wouldn't make it due to stature.

What happened next would have made her refuse food for days if someone should have offered her any, and if she hadn't looked away. The Nightfury's fangs unexpectedly popped out like a switchblade and he leaned forward- And bit down on the still form. Greatly disturbed, Astrid looked away and forced herself to curl up. Unfortunately, she could do nothing about the sounds of chomping and slurping and the wails that followed soon after. Eyes still squeezed shut and body still shaking with nausea, the golden-haired female heard Toothless thump down next to her with a long drawn-out sigh, disturbing the little clouds of dirt that drifted into the freezing, salty air.

"T-Toothless?" She whispered, instantly regretting her decision to look back where the hatchling once lay, only to find a tiny pool of blood. "Ugh..." Forcing the bile back down her throat, Astrid curled up even tighter against Stormfly, trying to avoid Toothless's hypnotic stare. "Facts of life," she weakly assured herself. "Facts... Of life."

But as she tried to adjust her position against the Nadder, she completely forgot to take into account the three hatchlings that were nestling beside her, and accidentally bumped into one. Their heads all rose, large eyes blinking curiously at the strange creature that inhabited the nest beside their mother and father.

"Lorltle?" One of the newborns chortled inquisitively and crawled over her two siblings to get a better look at the fleshy thing that had neither scales nor feathers. Not that those factors ever crossed the hatchling's mind as it waddled unsteadily toward the human.

"Lorlte?"

The other babies followed suit to their sister's bravery and toddled on shaky, newborn limbs to join her. Astrid watched them closely, and despite the circumstances, couldn't keep the smile off her blotchy face.

"And a-a "grrr" to you too!" She teased, wiping her runny eyes before reaching down to pet the firstborn, which was the hatchling to approach her first.

Now that they were so close, she could truly observe their distinct characteristics. Their mere existence fascinated her, so imagine what Hiccup would feel if he saw them? "Probably write an armada of notes," Astrid thought with a chuckle.

At the touch of the human's hand, the eldest baby hissed and narrowed its jade eyes, sinking its tiny claws into her clothed thigh, which caused her to jolt. "Whuh! Ow-hey! Watch it!" Astrid spluttered, jerking the appendage free of the tiny hooks. "Can't you see I'm in enough pain already?! Toothless!" The Nightfury looked at her and blinked. "Can you do me a favor and control your mutant babies?" She asked sarcastically.

The Nightfury had been carefully watching this whole time, licking his large chops. He was miraculously unmoved by his quondam display of carnivorous cannibalism, although Astrid had to swallow once more to keep from puking what little food was in her belly. Another wave of pain.

"GUH..." Albeit what Toothless had done was probably drilled into his instinctive drive, Astrid couldn't help but feel a certain resentment toward him. Out of everything he had done, and now she couldn't escape the haunting image of the poor little hatchling that had died. And for what? Sure, it had looked a bit small... It had looked a bit...runty. A... A... A bit of a...

"Hiccup," Astrid whispered aloud, her statement forth-bringing chills to the supposedly happy atmosphere. She closed her eyes in an attempt to shut out the dragons and tried not to think about the upcoming sequence of events.

During her train of thought, her hand somehow made its way to her left wrist and touched something cool and silvery. Her poetic bracelet. The one Hiccup had specially made for her as a morning-gift all those months ago. Astrid smiled a little and stroked it with a thumb. She missed him so much. It occurred to her that she would most likely never see Hiccup again. The thought jarred her.

"_It's not fair,_" she thought miserably, leaning her head back to rest. _"I don't know what kind of sense of humor Höðr has, but hopefully he'll tune the winter down a bit. For my sake, for my baby's sake, and for...I hate this._"

Toothless carefully observed his children randomly scuttle about the nest while trying to nip at her red fingers and tug at her trembling boots, despite her weak protests.

They were quite small, of course. The eldest that had first approached Astrid had the closest resemblance to her father. The same shiny, sleek scales that emulated Toothless's. The same four-legged physique and bat-like wings. The one defined difference about her was that instead of the sensory folds that usually adorned the back of the Nightfury's head, there were strong, sturdy spikes that much resembled a Nadder. They were also midnight in shade, and beautiful.

The second hatchling was a Nadder altogether; a two-legged little thing with a beak rather a maw, two shaky said little legs in which he stood upright, rather than on all fours, and two beady eyes the color of emeralds. He was the one that kept tugging at her boots and flapping his azure wings at an attempt to make himself appear intimidating.

The third hatchling was a significant case of incomplete dominance. While she waddled about on all fours, in place of a Nightfury maw was the distinct Nadder beak and a few spines alongside her tail. Her body was the darkest shade of raven Astrid had ever seen; a shade that could surpass the pitch black of night. She was a hyper little thing, constantly running from her father, to her mother, and then back to Astrid to nip at her fingers in an animated frenzy.

The third Nadder...Fury was most interested in her father and kept locking her tiny beak onto his prosthetic tail, and he looked on in amusement before dragging her away by her own tail. Astrid smiled a small smile as she watched Toothless warmly greet each one of his hatchlings with a loving nuzzle that only a father could give. It was a sight that could at the heartstrings at even the most treacherous of Vikings.

But his display of fatherly affection also sent a pang of guilt through the girl's aching heart, and her hazy thoughts turned to her husband. If all went well with the birth, there was still very little chance she could ever make it off this island, and an even slimmer chance of Hiccup ever getting the chance to meet the child he created with her.

Little did she know, a certain Viking was already well on his way.

* * *

"Well," Hiccup thoughtfully contemplated to himself as he hung on for dear life. "On the bright side, this way I'll get to Astrid quicker."

Bucket's prediction had to be correct. Off in the vast horizon where the world ended, ominous clumps of thunderclouds assembled into parcels. Hiccup glared with his dark emerald eyes, rimmed red and burning with fatigue yet still charged with contempt at the storm clouds that dared threaten his partner. If only he'd come more prepared. He shivered, silently scolding himself for not keeping a firm grip on the supplies along with the oars.

Hiccup and Meatlug had been flying for a good amount of time; a few hours at best, and he was starting to get very antsy as his thoughts turned to Astrid.

He had no doubt in his mind that her Viking-inherited stubbornness would fuel her strive for survival. She was obviously not the type of girl to just give up and back down in the face of a dangerous situation, even if her own life was on the line. So his young heart hoped with every fiber within its being, even if that nagging voice in the back of his head questioned if the inevitable could actually happen.

What if... What if she had already given birth and his baby was struggling for survival? What if-? What if she was already in the process of giving birth and would be doing so by the time he arrived?! What-What if Toothless hadn't gone to the other dragons and Meatlug was leading him further and further away from his wanted destination?!

No. No! He couldn't think like that. He sucked in a breath and then narrowed his emerald eyes, focusing on the path ahead. It was an essential for the young Viking to mentally prepare himself for whatever was waiting for him when he reached Astrid.

Meatlug panted rapidly, her wings a blur as she traveled at speeds faster than she had ever flown in her life. Her tongue was hanging freely from her mouth, much like a dog's. "That's it, Meatlug!" Hiccup encouraged, his voice rising over the winds. "Good dragon! Take me to Astrid!"

The Gronkle huffed in apprehension and flew on. This male, this human on her back was really asking for it. Not only was he weighing her down (although it was confessed that his lithe form hardly made a difference) but now he had the nerve to shout at her? How rude. If humans had a fault, it was that they had a habit of being quite noisy. Constantly chitter-chattering with the likes of one another, nonstop. She was already irritated that her poor eggs had been left behind at her master's home beneath a bundle of hay, and leaving them behind had not improved her attitude.

Hours passed, and Hiccup was getting restless. Meatlug was showing absolutely no signs of stopping, and even the usually abundant sea-stacks were thinly dispersed. Though the fog was just as thick as ever. The boy groaned impatiently. "C'mon, girl," he urged, "Where exactly are you taking me?"

The Gronkle narrowed her amber eyes and let out a guttural sound of protest. "_If you yip at me ONE MORE TIME-!"_ Meatlug harshly growled in annoyance, though she could not understand his tongue, "_I'll drop ya off in the middle of the ocean with no means of survival. Yeah. How would ya like that, youngling? ...Sorry,_" she sheepishly apologized when she realized that sounded a bit too rash.

"_I don't mean t' be so impatient and grumpy, but m' hatchlings are back at yer home and now I can't go back to mother them! You of all creatures with a superior intellect should understand, yes? You-"_ Her eyes widened at a sudden discovery._ "Wait! Hold that thought! We have officially arrived!"_

The Gronkle wings, which had fluttered much like a hummingbird, came to an abrupt halt. "Wha-? Meatlug?" For a moment, the two beings were suspended in midair, just enough time for Hiccup to collect his resolve before they plummeted towards the unseen ocean.

"Oh, THOR, OH THOR, OH THOR, OH THOR!" The auburn-haired male shrieked as Meatlug fell like a rock, straight through the clouds and out into broad daynight. He could feel himself lifting from his spot on her back, the only thing keeping him from completely detaching was his death grip on her. Luckily, she opened up her wings once more before they met their fate with Ægir, the God of the sea. "Oh Thor, th-th-thank you..." Hiccup stuttered with thanks, his body frozen from the initial shock.

Once the male situated himself, he took the time to observe his oceanic surroundings. Deeming the current atmosphere "daylight" would've been a big misnomer, because the first thing Hiccup noticed after his heart levels slowly declined from the shock, was how stormy and dark it was.

The sea itself looked black, like a murky ink lagoon slathered by waves. Off in the horizon lay the real danger. Cumulonimbus clouds the shade of Toothless's scales on a dreary day rumbled on the edge of the sea.

The world seemed to have gone several shades darker.

"Odin," Hiccup whispered helplessly, the wind whistling over his voice. "Bucket's storm..." A sudden draft brought him out of his dazed stupid and chilled his insides, causing him to shudder and wrap his furry vest around his lithe form even tighter. "Don't worry, Astrid," he promised in determination, "I'm coming."

Meatlug was unbothered by her recent deathly drop and continued her journey, never stopping even for a moment until her destination began to emerge from the haze.

"_There it is_!"

Hiccup too caught sight of the island not long after Meatlug, and his breath got caught in his throat. Was this it? Was this the place? Meatlug began her descent and Hiccup beamed. This was it! It had to be! If one looked closely from his height, the other dragons inhabiting the island were in his range of vision.

Hiccup couldn't keep himself from jumping off the dragon's back and leaping onto the dirt before she actually landed, which was quite amusing in her case. Lucky for him, they were only a few feet airborne.

"_Thank you for riding on the amazing Gronkle_," Meatlug paused. "_Wait. No. Only my rider is privileged enough to hear that from me. Sorry youngling."_

Hiccup stumbled forward, a world of dizziness overtaking him from the hours of unfamiliar motion. "I don't know how you do it, Fishlegs," he quietly muttered to himself before giving a pat of thanks to the Gronkle's rough hide. "Thanks, girl."

Meatlug made a sound that sounded extremely like a snort and gave a wet sloppy kiss to the boy's cheek before lumbering off. Hiccup grinned and wiped the saliva off his face and allowed himself to adjust to the scene before him.

What he saw took his breath away entirely. This island... This inhospitable, desolate rock housed species of dragons he had never dreamed of! Of every color, of every class, of-Oh, Odin! Even Fishlegs would kill to be here. Dragons of every kind, species he couldn't even imagine were right on display for him to see. And were those...hatchlings?! His internal intellect kicked in, and his small hand actually found its way to the pocket in his vest, which usually held his sketchbook.

"Whoa..." He whispered, utterly gobsmacked as the truth was finally unveiled. "You guys come here to have babies. Whhhat a coincidence!" Out of the far reach of the island, a young Nadder couple were tending to their newly-hatched hatchlings. The female lay worn but happy as her mate fed the yipping little ones fish from his large beak.

Out of the corner of his eye, a Gronkle was in the process of dumping her eggs into one of the pools. He watched in amazement as a deep rumbling vibrated throughout the island soil and out popped the baby Gronkles, all shivering and wet in the freezing air. It made Hiccup shiver just thinking about it.

"The eggs...explode?"

Far off at an unseen part of the island, a large explosion could be heard and a small puff of smoke drifted into the sea air. It appeared that a certain dragon forgot to dunk his eggs and confirmed Hiccup's guess. The male winced and stifled a laugh at the comedic appeal of the mistake. He was stupefied, but with a shake of his head, he snapped out of his intellectual stupor. "The eggs explode! That-That's amazing! That-...Okay, okay. Don't let yourself succumb to the amazing discoveries you've just disinterred," he reminded himself. "You need to find Astrid. Now. Essential!"

It was embarrassingly difficult for Hiccup to trek through such a marvelous place and NOT scrutinize every single little detail of the undiscovered place, but somehow he managed to do it without getting too into it.

"Not _technically_ undiscovered," he corrected himself with a sinking feeling invading his stomach for the billionth time that day. "Astrid's gotta to be here. I know it." But how would one find their kin in a crowded place like this?

Out of options, Hiccup decided that the only way he was going to find her was to scream for her. After all, what if she was crippled in the way that she couldn't walk correctly because of her condition? Unbeknownst to him, this reasoning was in fact true in every way.

"ASTRID!" He bellowed as loudly as his nasally voice would let him, cupping his hands around his mouth like a wooden lur. His warm breath was evaporating in huge puffs of clouds. Several nearby dragons winced at the volume and warbled agitatedly. "ASTRID?! ARE YOU HERE?! ASTRIIIIID! Oh Astrid, where did you go? ASTR-!"

A disturbingly low growl interrupted his yell, and the auburn-haired teen froze mid-scream, mid-stride. Slowly as he dared, the boy turned his head toward the source of the growl and found himself face-to-scaly face with one of the aggressive foreigners. NOT the peaceable type from Berk. His hair practically rose up on end in nervousness.

Hiccup gulped, noticing with dismay that he had accidentally come dangerously close within the range of the dragon's hatchlings. To make matter's worse, the babies approached him, sniffing at his boot and prosthetic foot curiously, but the father seemed to have a resentment. Hiccup doubted this dragon had ever met a human before, due to the fact of its obvious suspicion. It hadn't attacked, but it hasn't exactly submitted either. And that for Hiccup was a bit of a pickle.

At the harsh command of his guttural warble, the babies all turned on their tails and scurried back beneath his protective wings. But even with the hatchlings' safety assured, the foreigner continued to bear his menacing fangs at the human.

"Heh, kids, right?" Hiccup joked shakily, trying to remain steady and calm. "Hey, it's alright, boy," he assured the beast, keeping a respectable distance. But the foreigner was now approaching him, snuffling about and even poking his long snout at Hiccup's torso, which caused him to flinch.

It was a small movement, but it was also abrupt and the foreigner growled. Hiccup dared not move as other foreigners stood behind the menacing one and observed him curiously. He swallowed hard and tentatively reached out a trembling hand.

Bad idea.

The foreigner hissed and opened his jaws so wide that Stoick could have easily been downed in one go. Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut and winced as the dragon clamped its teeth around the scruff of his furry vest and tunic, yanking him up in the air like a mother cat would with her kitten.

The boy dangled helplessly in the iron grip, under the complete mercy of this dragon that was then carrying him back to his own nest. "...I would pun the Valhalla out of this situation, but I don't think this is the time," Hiccup sighed as he wriggled about.

The annoyed foreigner gave the young human a good shake, rattling out whatever sarcastic quips the boy had left in his system, and dangled him over his nest where the baby hatchlings chirped excitedly.

Despite the situation, Hiccup couldn't help but admire the foreign babies grouping beneath his feet-Er, foot. They were just so cute! "Aw, look at you guys," he cooed, "all happy together."

The realization of what this father was planning on doing to him failed to cross Hiccup's mind until a few of the babies began to nip at his boot, one of them clamping its gummy jaws down on his metal prosthetic.

"Oh. OH! I'm not dinner!" He nervously laughed as they continued to bite at him. To think that the father was like a mother bird presenting worms to her chicks. That made him the worm, he supposed. "I don't think you guys would like me that much... Too many bones, very little meat; I think cod would much more suit to your liking," he explained sheepishly.

One hatchling grew frustrated that he couldn't devour what was offered to him and began to angrily screech before clamping down on Hiccup's clothed toes.

"OW!" The teenager winced and jerked his foot out of instinct, causing the small dragon to lose his footing and stumble forward. "Gah! Heh, careful there, Bud."

The father foreigner was unhappy about this new predicament, especially when his children began to cry.

"_Food! Dawdy! Food!"_ They begged, flapping their tiny wings and hopping in place, their heads bobbing up and down in rhythm to their constant chant. "_We're hungry!"_

_"To my hatchlings, this creature is inedible_," he thought in surprise. "_But no matter. If they cannot eat it, then I shall try_." He loosened his hold on the furry vest and purposely let the human fall to the dirt ground with a thud before pinning him beneath his claws like a mouse at the mercy of a cat.

"Whoa, wait!" Hiccup cried out, grabbing at the claws that graced his fragile torso. "Stop! You don't wanna eat me!" He began to plead as the foreigner leaned in and bared his fangs. "I'm a Viking," Hiccup whispered weakly as drops of saliva dropped from the canine teeth and onto his scrawny chest. "V-Very tough and tasteless." The mother foreigner looked interested.

The male foreigner ignored the human youngling's frightened little yips and pressed his fore-claw against the boy's small jugular, causing him to gasp out. The dragon would have grinned if he could. That was better. These creatures, whatever they were, were so noisy.

"Ech!" Hiccup helplessly wheezed, his heart irregularly palpitating. "If you eat me, it'll send a bad message!" He nervously warned, and sent a quick private prayer to the Gods.

The foreigner was going to sink his teeth into the boy's right shoulder. He would start there-yes! And then maybe gorge down the creature's belly. Save the fingers and toes for dessert-very crunchy and very sweet! Perhaps he could save the head, arms, and legs for his hatchlings. They could nibble the ears and nose or something before they froze in the frost.

It looked like there would be a bleak outcome for the Viking, and he would, in fact, have become a meal for the foreigner if it would have not been for a familiar hiss to arrive right on time. Toothless. Had the Nightfury arrived just a moment later to ram into the foreigner, Hiccup might've lost an arm that day. Instead, said foreigner was roughly pulled away from the young Viking and shoved back into nest where he almost crushed the awaiting hatchlings.

The black streak came into focus through Hiccup's slightly blurred vision, and he shakily sat up, resting a chapped palm against his forehead. "T-Tooth-Toothless?"

The foreigner lifted his heavy head and stared at the boy, dazed...before plopping back down in his nest.

The Nightfury turned toward Hiccup with a bound and retracted his teeth, beaming his trademark gummy smile. A huge grin broke out across Hiccup's own face and he clumsily jumped up from his pratfall position. "_Toothless_! Hey, Bud!" His long-lost best friend had inexplicably returned at the most appropriate of situations. "Right on time!"

Toothless wasted no time whatsoever and galloped over to his human, knocking him to the ground once more. "_How deed zhou evah manage to arrive here_?" Toothless inquired in amazement. He was admittedly excited to see his rider, albeit he was confused how Hiccup traveled there at all. But it didn't matter.

After a few sloppy kisses from the reptilian creature, Hiccup's smiling face suddenly fell, and he stood once more. "Bad dragon!" He scolded, shoving a berated finger at the Nightfury's bubbly complexion. "Very, very bad dragon! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"

"_Vat are zhou complaining about_?" Toothless teased, ignoring the bewildered glances of some of the other foreigners. "_Every dragon ees watching."_

Speaking of dragons, the young foreigner who had been so rudely interrupted from commencing his meal, flipped back onto his stomach and glared at the duo. "_What...is that_?" He intoned. Toothless looked surprised. "_A creature with no scales, partially furless, no claws, spikes, or fangs? What **is** that noisy blob of flesh that you so precariously protect_?!" He finished with a spat growl.

Toothless would have shrugged if he could. "_Ah'm surprised zhou do not know. Thees creature here ees a human. A Viking, to be precise. My rider. I have made peace with his kind._"

The foreigner blinked at the human, who continued to chastise. "_Rider? You mean you give that thing "Terry-back" rides_?" He was thoughtful for a moment, contemplating this. "_So... She is a pet_?"

Toothless snorted back a chuckle. His rider would NOT have been happy to hear that. "_Eet's a he,_" he corrected politely. "Ah'm sure... He has a mate who ees laying her eggs right now at the time being."

The foreigner's hatchlings had been eavesdropping on the conversation and grew excited at the mention of "pet".

"_Dawdy! Daddy_!" They squealed, flapping their little wings once more. Toothless warbled in his form of laughter. "_I wanna get one o' those! Daddy! Daddy!_" The foreigner hissed, gave a curt nod to Toothless, and began to reprimand his children about interrupting.

"Very, fundamentally bad dragon," Hiccup was sternly repeating. Angrily. Whichever it was, at least it brought Toothless's attention back to him.

"What you did almost gave me a double heart-attack! Don't you EVER take Astrid away agai-!" He stopped and looked about the area, his pointer finger falling limp. "Astrid. Oh, Astrid! Uh, speaking of whom... Wh-Where-Where is she?!" He shrieked, realizing how much time has been wasted. Mere minuets, but to him, it might as well have been days. "Odin help us; WHERE is she?!"

For once, Toothless seemed to understand the Viking's haste and bounded over to one of the steep ledges on the far side of the island before motioning the human to follow. Hiccup let out a sigh of relief and complied without question, anxiety and adrenaline fueling him like it never had before. Thank the Gods that Toothless knew of Astrid's whereabouts. And why shouldn't he? He was her kidnapper, after all! Heh... Yeah, there would be no cod for a week when they got back home to Berk.

Hiccup was far more careful about passing the nests then he had before, and kept a respectable distance from the hatchlings that scurried about. The process slowed him a bit. "That's it-Whoops, watch out little guy-Wait up, Toothless!" He called out to his reptilian comrade, who'd leapt up the tiny cliff and was waiting on the edge for him.

Hiccup tried to follow suit, but found as he desperately tried to scramble up the ledge, that it was too high. The scratching of his short little fingernails caused tiny dirt cave-ins and rocks tumbled from the edge and bonked him in the head. That, and his prosthetic would not create any amount of friction. It kept slipping and prevented him from climbing any further.

"Ugh! C'mon!" Hiccup complained as his frustration quickly mounted. This couldn't be obstacle to keep him from reuniting with his partner; it was just so annoying!

The Nightfury sighed, took pity, and gently took the boy by the scruff of the vest and gently hauled him over the steep edge. "Ah, thanks- Oof!" Even with the gently movements of his guide, a Hiccup still managed to fall flat on his face in the dirt. "...Bud," He finished with a singular cough, gently brushing the feculent off his freckled complexion. "Yeah, I think we're getting...close..." He trailed off, entire tensing as his brain took time to register what was before him. His mind seemed to have shut off, leaving only the primal, mammalian bits, as it was presented someone too good to be true.

"A-As-Astr-?" He couldn't even say it. He plead to the Gods that this wasn't a dream, that the thin air had gotten to him and conjured up this beautiful piece of imagery. His partner, Astrid, tucked between hatchlings by the likes he'd never seen before.

Astrid's azure eyes were squeezed shut and she was panting through her chapped, pink lips. Her cheeks were red and her forehead was beaded with sweat droplets, her platinum bangs plastered to her forehead. Speaking of which, her once lovely golden hair was now matted and tangled, the large braid practically undone.

Hiccup watched Toothless warble proudly, plop next to Astrid, and nose her forehead, as if to prove that she wasn't just a pretty picture that had been created through an insane mind.

She was real. A huge smile tugged at the corners of Hiccup's lips and suddenly he was bursting with excitement.

"ASTRID!" He cried out, and the girl's ocean eyes popped open. She hadn't even seen or heard him arrive, too wrapped up in her patterned breathing.

"Hiccup?! Is that really y-?" She wasn't able to finish her sentence, due to the male rushing forward and nearly dive-bombing at her body to deliver the tightest hug she'd ever received. "Hic-Hiccup!" She squeaked, a smile now adorning her beaming, but blotched face. "Wha-? Hahaha!" She began to laugh, because in a euphoric frenzy, Hiccup had begun to place quick but significant kisses to her cheeks and forehead. "Yea-Haha! I'm so happy to see you, you total dork!" She joked, his arrival nearly too much for her to process. Man, and to think she believed she was going to die alone!

"Oh, man, Astrid..."

"I don't get it! Hiccup, how'd you even manage to get here?" She gasped into his chest, not wanting to inform him that his tight hugs were hurting her abdomen. "_Oh, Freyja. It's coming!_"

"Oh, man. Oh, man oh man. Astrid," Hiccup stuttered into her shoulder, his spidery digits gripping her golden hair. He could still hardly believe she was real. "The things I need to tell you-It's such a long story. Well- Ah, I mean, not really, but if I wrote a book to tell the tale, it'd like, _six_ books... Long story short, I found Meatlug chained up-don't ask-and I accidentally found myself here. There's more to it, but... I know you're really impatient-no offense! But, you-Ah-I'm just-...Oh man..." His voice cracked at the last tidbit, but rather than try to dissuade her, he merely tightened his grip. It sent a series of convulsions down Astrid's spine and straight to between her legs, causing her to hiss and dig her sharp fingernails into his back.

"Guhhh..." She moaned through her harshly gritted teeth, regretfully pulling away from the other teenager to lean against the Nadder's side, who squawked in concern and nuzzled her cheek. Hiccup instinctively jerked his hands away from her waist, terrified that he had caused her pain.

"Oh, OH no! Are you okay?" He asked frantically, reaching out a hand but tentatively jerking it back. "Ah-On a scale of one to ten-?"

"A hundred!" Astrid answered, forcefully inhaling and exhaling through her teeth. "And this-AH!-" she grimaced. "-Has been going on since this mor-morning."

"What?" If it had been a different situation, Astrid would have laughed at his genuinely baffled expression. "You mean your-...Ohhh... That. Right." He blanched, swallowed, and rubbed his forehead, completely lost. "Suffering scallops. We need to get you back. Right now." He stood before she could object. "C'mon, I'll help you," he insisted, lending a hand to the female.

"..." Astrid answered not, but looked extremely disappointed and guilty.

"...Astrid?" He questioned nervously when she wouldn't take it.

Hiccup decided that maybe he was speeding things along too quickly. With a quiet thump, the future chieftain sat crossed-legged before the listless mother-to-be, and gazed at her in worry.

"Astrid, what's wrong?" He asked. "We can go back right now and get you to Gothi. Meatlug is..." Astrid shook her head, her half-lidded eyes shutting as she leaned her head back.

"I'd like to break it down for you, Hiccup," Astrid spoke in a strained voice, due to the circumstances. "One: I'm going through labor. Two: the dragons won't move for nip and that includes Meatlug. And three: I'm not that lucky. I'm starting to suspect that the Gods hate me."

Hiccup blinked and sucked in a breath. "Really, Astrid? We can't just stay here and expect to have a successful...you know," he chuckled nervously, albeit he found the situation humorless. "We need to get back." He tried to keep his voice steady, but the idea of his partner finally delivering the baby he'd been yearning to meet made it rather difficult.

"I don't think I'm gonna make it, Hiccup," she explained truthfully, her eyes narrowing in embarrassment and shame. "And yeah, I'm sure that sounds _super_ upbeat, but-"

"Who-Ha-Wh-Who said you weren't going to make it?" Hiccup asked with a desperate little laugh. His voice had gone several octaves higher, and Astrid could sense his panic. "You're gonna make it, Astrid! You're one of the strongest people I know!"

Hiccup nearly wilted as the girl fell silent, and he slowly reached out to touch her sweaty cheek. "...Astrid?"

"Listen, I've accepted my fate, alright?" She snapped, her throat tightening.

"But... Astrid-"

"Look at the sky!" She weakly gestured behind them, where the sky was indeed blanketed by storm clouds. "Look at our environment." Hungry reptiles reigned supreme. "And take a gander at my condition. Our baby is coming, Hiccup!" She reminded him with a wince. "Our baby is coming and I'm not ready!"

"Neither of us are! But I'm not giving up on you!" Hiccup burst out, clutching her cheeks in his palms. "What else do you want me to do?" He was definitely panicking now. If Astrid of all people, Astrid, of all people, was accepting her death and giving up...what was he supposed to hope for?

"Keep it alive, of course," she answered without hesitation. Her face could have been stone, but Hiccup could make out the hint of despair in her runny eyes. "Just...survive for me. I don't want you to end up meeting your makers because of me. Because, to put it blatantly, no human's getting off this island without a dragon. Face it, I'm done for. So... Carry on my legacy, will ya?" Saying it casually was more than the boy could stand.

"_You are not dying_!" Hiccup shouted, causing the other teenager to jump. She hadn't heard shout like that before. What lacked in volume made up in passion. Who knew such a nasally voice could make her jolt like that? Hiccup gently smiled at her stricken expression. He softly took hold of both her frozen hands and tried to warm them up with his own. "The great, axe-wielding Haddock is not going to die. Not by weather nor birth-"

"Hiccup," Astrid muttered, reopening her eyes when he squeezed her hands. "Please."

"You're going to get through this unscathed. We are going to finish this together, and you're going to meet our baby," he told her, using one of his hands to gently sweep her blonde bangs out of her eyes. "You-You can even do the honors!"

"The...honors?"

"Name. The naming! If you do this, I promise you can name the baby," he swore. "I promise. Anything you want."

Astrid rose an eyebrow, a smirk adorning her face. "_Anything_ I want?" She pressed, her tone going thin and pleasant, and Hiccup chuckled, giving her a kiss to the knuckles of her hand.

"Anything," Hiccup promised, and nearly jumped out of his skin when one of the hatchlings approached and bit him quite harshly on the wrist. "OW! What the-?" Astrid laughed as her partner held up his injured wrist, the baby Night fury or Nadder clamping down onto it.

"Look at that! It likes you!"

A mere half-hour later...

The series of steps done to obtain the goal of meeting the newborn, in Hiccup's eyes, were practically a systematic process of mechanized or chemical operations done with utmost perfection.

Ha! If only he could follow through.

However, what did transpire was the next few hours of panicky stress that surpassed the stress of running a country. Having absolutely no experience whatsoever with childbirth or how it even worked, Astrid literally had to explain it to him as they went along. Unwillingly, but nonetheless.

Needless to say, he was pretty freaked out by the whole ordeal, and tried his hardest to internally console himself. "Okay, Hiccup. Time to deliver your future kid. No biggie. Noooo... Big... Deal..." Oh, who was he kidding? He understood how to aim with a bow and arrow more than this. And considering that he'd never shot straight in his life, that was saying something. "Start with the basics and go from there."

The first thing they did was gingerly remove Astrid's leggings, which were damp and sticky with-He did NOT want to know he did NOT want to know dear Freyja, forget it. He graciously removed his furry vest and carefully spread it over Astrid's pelvis so at least she could conserve her modesty in the staring, unblinking eyes of the curious dragons.

Speaking of which, the dragons thankfully provided a working shield that effectively blocked the aggressive wind with their massive forms from disturbing the busy couple. They even expanded their large, leathery wings as a sort of roof for the humans. Hiccup gently shooed the hatchlings away from Astrid's quivering form, and they miraculously complied, taking refuge at their mother's belly.

"So, out of curiosity," Hiccup inquired as the girl continued to convulse. He had begun to chatter to get Astrid's mind off the pain, whether it helped or not. He was kneeling between her legs, a bit embarrassed to be looking there without blushing. "How long does this usually take?"

Astrid chuckled through her erratic breathing. "Heh, heh, impatient much? It-It depends on the person. I've been cramping since late last night, so I s-OH GAH!" The dragons jolted at her sudden burst. Her insides were strongly contracting, and she reflexively arched her back in response. Hiccup looked on with wide, troublesome eyes. "...I suppose it sh-shouldn't be long now," the girl finished, as if nothing had happened. "It hurts really bad, really ba-AAAAUGH!"

Hiccup knew Astrid was trying to be strong, and so far, she had suppressed any sobs or pained cries that normally women would succumb to during birth. He wondered how long it would take until she would cry at all.

After a while, he asked her, "Do-Do you-Ah, would you like me to get you some water? You look pretty dehydrated."

The young Viking clenched her teeth and rolled her eyes. "Salt water would be _lovely_, thank you," she replied sarcastically.

Hiccup swallowed. Her mood was quickly dimming. Not that it mattered...but for once he was glad there were no weapons present. "Actually, the little springs down there are fresh. Some dragons were using them as a water source. Would you like some?"

Astrid let out a strained gasp and nodded. "Ugh! Okay, just hurry! I don't want it to come out while your doing that!" Hiccup gave her a pat of reassurance and quickly headed out to the center of the island while trying not to draw attention to himself. In the end, he had used his vest to absorb the liquid contents of the springs and rushed it back to his partner so that she could hydrate. Once she was no longer craving water, all that was left was to wait. Wait with panicked minds, hopeful hearts, and trembling-with-anticipation bodies.

It was rather quiet after that, other than the quiet little murmurs of encouragement Hiccup would grant to Astrid, to which she harshly snapped at.

Things like, "You're doing great," or, "Keep going," or, "I'm praying for you." All comments were harmless, but after a while, Astrid got annoyed and assumed he was saying those things because _he_ presumed her to be weak.

Luckily, Hiccup got the hint and fell short of things to say. But in this never before experienced situation sparked some very interesting choice questions for the mother-to-be.

"Can you hold it in?" He curiously blurted at one point without thinking.

"..." Astrid sent him a death glare so vivid that if looks could kill, he would be on a pyre set to burn.

Hiccup quietly resumed stroking her hand, which gripped his whenever a painful contraction would churn her insides.

"...How are you feeli-?"

"If you ask me how I'm feeling one more time," Astrid seethed in a strained voice, her fingernails digging into his palm, "I am going to rip every single one of your teeth out-No! I'll rip out your spinal cord and jump rope with it!"

"Okay! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Hiccup quickly apologized, nervously prying his hand away from hers. "So... How's it-? Oh geeze..."

"AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGH!"

Hiccup would later admit that he deserved that punch to the shoulder.

A whopping three hours later...

They were getting close. Very close. Astrid's grunts of pain had transformed into gritted wails that embarrassed her and scared Hiccup beyond belief.

Her shivering, pale legs were spread wide, Hiccup positioned right between them to greet the newborn when it arrived. "I know you're going to hate me for saying this, but you're doing great," he whispered, hovering over her body to place a tender kiss on her forehead. The beads of sweat coating her forehead had frozen, clinging to her face like icicles that melted at his touch. "You're doing amazing."

"UGH! SHUT IT WITH YOU AN' YOUR LITTLE COMMENTS!" Astrid screeched, her hands clawing the ground. The pain was unbearable, and was only going to get worse until her baby was born. "GET IT OUT GET IT OUT GET IT OUT!" She cried. "THUNDERING THOR-I CAN'T! I CAN'T DO THIS!"

_"Poor youngling_," Stormfly crooned sympathetically, gazing at the hysterical girl. The Nadder had kept a close eye on her hatchlings and Toothless had kept the two humans well-guarded from other curious dragons who were drawn by Astrid's wails. "_Ah dedn't realize et would be so painful for humans_."

"_At least she gits a leeter out of eet_," Toothless trailed.

"AUGH!" Astrid gasped, clutching the only thing she could salvage, which was Hiccup's auburn hair. "I can't-UHN-Do this..."

"Yes-Ow. Yes you can!" Hiccup insisted, detangling her trembling hands from his locks with his own shaking ones. He clutched them as if they were her only life-support. "Yes you can! You're going to get through this, remember? You're going to give it a name, okay? You can do it!"

Astrid nodded, tears finally escaping from the dams she had built up in her azure eyes for so long, and streaked down her tinted cheeks. "I-I can... AUGH!"

"You can do it! You-!"

"IT'S COMING!" She shrieked, resisting the urge to reach between her legs. "OH ODIN'S GHOST, I CAN FEEL IT...UHN..." Her body tensed so hard that every single muscle in her body screamed out in protest, and suddenly she could barely hear the encouraging shouts from her partner, nor the gurgling wails of her newborn infant.

Scattered pixies appeared before eyes, a low drone blocked any sound from her ears, and she then passed out.

At first, Hiccup hardly noticed Astrid quietly slip away, far too focused on the little being between their bodies, pinkish and blueish, shivering and wailing. Toothless crooned in curiosity and sniffed at the little human baby. "_Why, no WANDER she was een pain! Eet exploded inside of har!"_

Hiccup's heart was beating so fast that he could hardly do anything but let fatherly instinct take control of his body and mind.

Without thinking, he yanked his furry vest from Astrid's exposed pelvis and quickly but carefully wrapped around the shivering little thing he'd taken into his arms. "Oh Gods," he realized with shock as he held the sticky child to his chest. This was it. His baby was here. His baby was here. His baby was here. Alive, breathing. His... "Hey, it's okay. It's okay," he whispered in his most soothing tone to the wailing newborn. "You're okay. You're okay..."

Hiccup glanced down at Astrid, his erratic breathing taking the place of hers. Carefully cradling the sniffing infant with one hand, he reached out with the other and gently jostled the unconscious girl's armored shoulder.

"A-Astrid?" He stuttered, feeling rather light-headed. "Our baby is here! He...She...It's here!"

He jostled her again. "Astrid. Astrid? Don't you wanna find out? If it's a boy or girl? Astrid? Astrid? You get to name it. Astrid? Please wake up... Astrid." He swallowed.

Another jostle to the shoulder, but the girl remained listless. The baby wailed.

"Astrid. Astrid? Please. I know you wanted to meet our baby so much. Please, please just... Please."

Another jostle, harder this time.

"Gods, please. Please. Astrid. Astrid? Astrid? Astrid?!" A note of panic crept into his already wavering voice. "Astrid... Astrid... Please wake up. Please wake up. You're a mother now, Astrid. Please wake up." It wasn't until then that he stole a glance to the area between her legs and winced. A small trickle of blood was beginning to leak out from the holder. That did it.

"_Astrid_!"

Stormfly squawked and nuzzled her unconscious rider, confused why she had the nerve to fall asleep at an exciting time like this. A sloppy lick to the cheek miraculously did the trick, and Astrid jolted awake with a tired moan.

"Astrid!" Hiccup choked out, letting her rest a cheek in his palm. "Oh, thank Thor."

"Uhn... Hiccup?" She mumbled, clearly dazed. With a bit of effort, she tried to close her aching legs, but to no avail. She felt more sore than she'd ever been in her life. "What... Is it...over?"

The teenage male grinned sadly and gently pulled the infant away from his chest to get a good look at his or her face. Its little face was scrunched up and cherry red from the biting air. "Hardly," he joked. "Wha-? Hey, Toothless! Stop!" He ordered when the Nightfury began to curiously nose the little being. "Back off, scaly guy."

Toothless jerked back, thoroughly offended. "_I let zhou touch mah hatchlings!"_

"You... Oh, man..." The female Viking breathed, forcing herself to rise to a sitting position and lean against Stormfly. "That was just awful," she groaned. It's pretty sore down there, just letting you know."

Hiccup pursed his lips, shuddering a bit at the pure amount of pain Astrid was going through. "I'm sorry," the fourteen-year-old apologized. "That whole experience must have been scary."

"Helheim on Earth," Astrid wholehearted agreed with a serious nod. Once she caught sight of her child, she smiled tiredly. "Now lemme see him...or her. Did you check?" She asked, holding out her arms to embrace her son or daughter. Hiccup shook his head and gently handed over the infant, watching spellbound as his exhausted wife cradled it with obvious affection. He was so excited. Nervous, but excited. He scrambled over to sit by her side and observe the squirming baby, who whined and shivered in the cold air. "Oh, that poor thing. Hello, cutie," she cooed. "I know it's cold out."

Astrid was trembling. This was her baby. She was at last embracing the child that'd resided in her womb for nine long months, and now it was official. The only thing was...well. It was indescribable.

This newborn was a concoction of both Hiccup and herself; a cross between the two that personality would only be revealed as she or he grew.

Astrid bit her bottom lip in concern. "It's...so small," she pointed out hesitantly. Indeed, the newborn was rather titchy and not at all heavy. Its eyes were squeezed shut, its not-so-chubby cheeks bright red from the cold with a mop of fuzzy auburn hair atop his or her head.

"Nine months," Astrid suddenly intoned.

Hiccup blinked as he made note of the comment and tried to shrug. "Shyeahhh... What?"

Astrid narrowed her eyes at Hiccup's nervous expression and felt a smirk tugging at her lips. "I carried this kid for _nine months_ and of _course_ it comes out looking just like you."

Hiccup grinned, a small blush spreading across his freckled face. "You think so?" He murmured softly, reaching out to gently brush his fingers against the baby's cheek, who shivered at his touch. "I... I guess he does."

"He? You think so?" Astrid asked with a smile. "Well then, this should be interesting. I'm voting for a girl."

"A girl?" The other Viking snorted. "What about all the times it kicked you? Only a boy could kick that hard. ...Well, most boys, anyway," he quickly added when she rose an eyebrow at him. "It's a boy."

"Girl."

"Boy."

"Girl!"

"Boy!"

"Girl!"

"Girl!"

"Boy-! Wait, what...?" Astrid muttered, rolling her eyes at Hiccup's hysterical face. "Yeah, haha, Haddock. Wordplay. How typical of you," she sarcastically retorted.

"Pffft! How typical of you to fall for-Please don't punch me!" He gasped as she cocked her fist. "Not in front of our child, please!" He chastised, unable to keep himself from giggling at her conflicted expression. "Wouldn't want to encourage violence, would you?"

"We're Vikings!" Astrid groaned in exasperation, but lowered eventually her cocked fist. "You are a total pain in the neck, you know that?"

"You're going to have a lot of fun with our son's sarcastic sass," Hiccup jested, proudly folding his lanky arms.

"Daughter," Astrid corrected heatedly.

"Son," he simply replied.

Astrid would have thrown up her arms in exasperation if she hadn't been delicately cradling her child. "Are we seriously doing this?" She groaned. "Here, I'll check."

"No need to. I already did when he came out."

After that little revelation, the teenage girl's face went hot with defeat. Hiccup smiled and shrugged innocently. "What'd I tell you?" He asked, throwing a lanky arm around her quivering shoulders. Astrid rolled her eyes, but accepted his embrace and leaned back into his chest.

"Whatever. I've been wrong before," she hastily dismissed, missing the smirk on her husband's face. "And in all honesty, I could care less if it's a boy. It'll allow me to expand my...creativity for the name-game, you understand." The baby in her arms wriggled a bit in her grip and she smiled.

Hiccup blew out his cheeks. "Ohhh. Right. Can't wait for that," he mumbled, causing her to jerk her head back and lightly smack it against his nose. "OW! S-Sorry," he muttered, cupping his nose with one hand. "...So have you given it any thought?"

"Not particularly," Astrid informed him, an unreadable smirk appearing on her blotchy face. "I mean, I might have a bit of an idea, but you might... I don't know. Lemme try it out."

Hiccup blinked. "Try it out?"

Astrid grinned a toothy grinned and carefully held the drowsy infant up so that he was eye-level with his father. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, meet Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Fourth!"

The male deadpanned and slapped his own forehead while Astrid burst out laughing. "Yeah-haha, that's what you get for letting Toothless kidnap me."

"Okay, first off: not my fault. Second: you're exacting revenge on me by giving our son a crummy name?" Hiccup asked, shaking his head in mock disapproval. "Even Alvin the Treacherous-no. Even_ Dagur_ the Deranged would find that extreme."

Astrid snorted and snuggled her son to her chest, warranting Hiccup's heart to melt at the sight. "Oh, come on. I'm not that evil. I think it's cute!"

"My name was dumb to begin with!" Hiccup insisted. "It's pathetic, really. You couldn't have gone with Sven or Bjorn? Those are nice."

"Nope," Astrid answered smugly. "This is my reward, remember? I go through nine months of torture, so I get to choose the baby's name. Fair enough?"

"Hardly. Especially since I'm the one who's getting named after," Hiccup pointed out with a roll of his emerald eyes. "I'm naming the next one."

"The next one?!" She snorted. "Wha-? Ha! You should be flattered," Astrid casually rebuked. "It's not every day that your child gets to carry on your name, just like the two Hiccups before you." Hiccup frowned.

"Perhaps," he said slowly. Looking to change the subject for a reason Astrid couldn't grasp, he said, "...So what do we do now?"

* * *

**Author's Note: ...Bricks anyone? Hm? Pitchfork? *hands out torches, pitchforks, and bricks to the clearly pissed off fans* Yeah, I didn't kill off anyone important in this chapter, forgive me to confess. That should subdue you all, right? And I hinted at the very beginning of the chapter that they were going to have a boy. Mishap by "Figulo" and "Figulo" means "a baby boy" in Latin. Eh? EH? See what I did there? :D  
**

**"... Right!" :D  
**

**Due to unfortunate circumstances, I _don't_ have enough time to respond the reviews that you all left me, but I want you all to know that I'm very appreciative of all the support you guys have given me in, and that you've stuck with me for this long. So if any of you anonymous folks out there can still favorite, follow, and review, I would be more than happy! And hey, every time a person reviews, the closer Hiccup and Astrid's "Survive-o-meter" tilts towards the green! ;)**

**I firmly believe that all of ya will be in for a surprise next chapter so stay tuned and have an awesome day everyone!**

**And PS: I have a **_**Tumblr **_**and I'm planning on DRAWING a few scenes from this story and posting it. I'm also trying to figure out a book cover for the story...so that should be fun.**

**My Tumblr account is under the same username, as always.  
**


	13. To Rescue or Not That is The Mishap

**Author's Note: My beautiful readers, words alone cannot express how sorry I am for the wait you have had to endure for the past few weeks. BUT, and here comes the but, I have an excuse. For a week, I had to stomach a road trip from Southern California to Colorado for a family reunion, and back. And as if six kids crammed together in a car for four days straight wasn't stressful enough, my mother made it a "technology-free" environment by taking away me and my brother's phones away. Why she didn't bother with my other brother's Leapster is a mystery. So thank the LORD that we have a TV in the car, because without it, I would have gone NUTS. Yep. So if you're angry at me for not updating sooner, remember, I had to spend time with my practically Amish cousins when I myself am Catholic. Fun... *whispers* I love them, but they are CRAZY!**

**But I'm not here to talk about me; I'm here to update a story. *wrings hands* May the responses commence.**

**Commence the Responses:**

**Gorever21: Hilarious name by the way, and I might take that little death into consideration!**

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: Love you, dude! See you next year!**

**TheForsakenTwist: Yes, I have two blogs: one under my own name and another one called "Hiccup the Stitcher", which is basically a creepypasta blog.**

**FluentFletcher2: Thank you so much for the constructive review. I admit my writing isn't perfect, and I'm glad you're here to steer me in the right direction.**

**Angel-the-hedge: Here it is! Enjoy my basking glory! MWHAHAHAHA!**

**Manfred 151: Behold!**

**Guest: Sorry, but unfortunately for you, I'm not going to go in that direction. For one reason or another, I've always hated the stories where the gang traveled away from home and gets back ten or five years later or whatever. I hate the "ditch Berk" stories, and believe it or not, I would've been much happier if they'd been there more in the second film. But thank you so much for the feedback.**

**Elemental Ninja 1608: IF they get back to Berk. It's a dangerous journey. ;)**

**And to all the other readers and spectacular reviewers: you all need to give yourselves pats on the back, because without you, I wouldn't find inspiration of point to write. It's becuase of you guys that I do this. So without further ado:**

**There is NO SWEARING allowed in this story, so please watch your language in the reviews, 'Kay? *pumps shotgun***

...

**_Chapter Thirteen: To Rescue or Not...?_** **_That is the Mishap_**

...

"Hiccup, we're stranded on an inhospitable island in the most desolate part of the Archipelago, miles away from home," Astrid reminded him. "Look: no vegetation. Which means we have no supplies to build a raft. No dragons are willing enough to comply, and..." She trailed off, guiltily taking in his defeated expression. "Other than try to get home, which we can't, what can we honestly do?"

"Well," Hiccup began, "logically, we should be trying to convince the dragons to give us a lift. Surely you've tried to ride the dragons already, right? Perhaps I could convince Toothless...?"

He looked hopefully at the Nightfury, who narrowed his jade eyes in a deadpanned expression, as if to say, "Uh-huh. Keep dreaming." And then he went back to grooming his hatchlings, who excessively shivered as the cold seeped into their scales.

Astrid shook her head and glared at the ground with ceaseless intensity. She tightened her snug grip on the infant and mushed him against her chest. "Forget it," she intoned. "He isn't-"

"HELLOOOOOO?!"

Both Hiccup and Astrid-as well as all the other inhabitants-jumped at the hearty bellow of a familiar youth.

After casting a quick glance to one another to assure themselves of their sanity, Hiccup leapt to his feet and fled the scaly shelter of the Nadder and Nightfury to enter the stormy world of the North.

"Hello?!" He hollered as he sped toward the island's contour, cupping his scarlet hands around his lips to punctuate his volume. The voice appeared to have emitted from the turbulent sea, from the mass of icebergs.

It was then, he realized with skyrocketing horror, that the water level was rising, and those ominous clouds that once held back so precariously in the distance were now proudly blowing toward the small island, shrouding and swallowing anything in its path with shadowy darkness. By the looks of it the storm was at last making an unforgettable entranced. Not good. Definitely not good.

Hiccup cursed himself for letting the concept of the snowstorm consign to an oblivion while his occupied mind directly focused on the birth. Because of his forgetfulness, this spark of light, this rescue opportunity might be all for nothing. Still, the hope was there, and it was dangling by a thread, just out of reach.

"Is someone out there?!" Hiccup frantically cried out. Because of the manipulation of the gusts of wind, murky waves of the deep lapped at the edge of the dirt cliff at which he stood, mercilessly spraying his shivering, lithe form with sea foam.

"HICCUP?!" The voice reappeared, endearing like the glowing light of an angler fish in the bottomless blue.

"Yes! YES! Who are you?! WHERE are you?!" Hiccup shouted hopefully above the noise, placing a hand above his squinted emerald eyes to shield them from the gusting wind. The drafty air itself was chilling him relentlessly, whipping his auburn hair out in all directions as he scanned the vast ocean. "Please! I NEED YOUR HELP! I HAVE A BABY HERE!"

There was a brief moment of silence, and then the voice shouted back, "ON MY WAY!" And right on cue, a small rowboat made its way out from behind one of the large oceanic icebergs. And lo and behold, the boat had a passenger! It was a bit too far away to see who, but the figure was strictly male.

He was adorned in thick skins, though his muscular arms were bare, and a curvy-horned helmet sat proud and daunting upon his head. How this guy was managing to fight against the churning waters single-handedly was astounding. But that was beside the main point, which was the fact that they were being rescued. Hiccup could literally feel his insides melt in a white slurry of relief, and his appendages relaxed.

"PLEASE HURRY!" He shouted once more, sparing a glance back at Toothless and Stormfly with the knowledge that Astrid and the newborn were uncomfortably nestled in between. His tender heart clenched as a sudden stir arose in the mass of reptiles toward the center of the isle. The dragons seemed to sense the forthcoming danger and were becoming restless.

"YEAH, YEAH, CHILL OUT, MAN! I'M ROWING AS FAST AS I CAN!" The person on the rowboat shouted, his strained grunts audible as his powerful arms rowed away at the rough ocean. Hm. That sounded familia-wait.

For a moment, Hiccup couldn't believe it. "Wait a minute..." He muttered, raising a hand over his eyes to shield them from the wind and salty sea-spray. "Is that...?"

"SHYEA RIGHT IT IS!" The boy in the boat triumphantly bellowed, even taking the risk of releasing one of the oars to casually wave at his cousin and grip it back before the oar was swept away. "DIDJA MISS ME? CUZ I SURE MISSED YOU! SNOTLOUT, SNOTLOUT, OI, OI, OI!" Hiccup could have kissed him on the spot, but alas, the other male was still too far way to reach. Instead, he pumped his fists in the air and laughed almost hysterically.

Thank Odin, thank Thor, thank Freyja, thank Heimdall, thank Bragi, thank Tyr, thank Baldar, thank Vidar, thank Hoder, and thank all the other Norse Gods and Goddesses in pathological existence; they were saved!

"Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to see you!" Hiccup cried out, jovially grinning from ear to ear.

"WHAT?!"

Hiccup blinked, momentarily stumped. The smile dropped somewhat. Did he honestly need to say that again? "I SAID THAT YOU HAVE NO IDEA-Oh, never mind," He dismissed with a roll of his eyes. There was no need to inflate his cousin's ego anymore than it already had. Though, he did owe Snotlout a thousand "thank you's" when this whole ordeal was over. "JUST KEEP 'ER COMING!" He instructed, his nasally voice barely rising over the rushing of wind. "I'M GOING TO GET ASTRID!"

"WHAT?!" Snotlout shouted over the rush of waves as he neared.

"I SAID I AM GOING TO GET ASTRID!" Hiccup screamed, cupping his hands around his mouth. The hostile winds were picking up considerably now, and it wouldn't be long before this island of solitude was overrun by the storm.

"STOP YELLING AT ME!" Snotlout screamed back. He was nearly at the cliff's edge, his head tilting backward in order to catch a glimpse of the scrawnier Viking. "WHADDAYA DOING, MAN?! STOP MESSING AROUND, GO GET ASTRID, AND GET 'ER DOWN HERE!"

"Gah!" Hiccup groaned in annoyance, tugging at his own locks. "Oh-OKAY!" He shouted down at the other teenager. "JUST SIT TIGHT! I WILL BE BACK AS SOON AS I CAN!"

"WAIT, WHAT?"

With a significant amount of hope and relief that no storm could diminish, Hiccup sped back to the dragons' nest as quickly as he possibly could, what with having one leg and all, and breathlessly announced to his partner upon arrival, "Astrid! Astrid! Help's arrived!"

Even though there was so little information, it was still difficult to process, and for a moment, Astrid said nothing at all. Toothless blinked in confusion and snuffled. "Oh my Gods," the golden-haired Viking finally gasped, covering her mouth with a free hand. She choked out, "Are you serious? Yer not-Yer not pulling my leg, or-?"

"I've never been more serious," Hiccup truthfully replied, taking her frozen hand within his. He couldn't erase the smile etched onto his face. "We are getting out of here and Hiccup is going to live." He gazed down at the furry bundle in her arms and his smile grew soft and endearing. "Oh, man," he said once more, running a hand through his auburn locks, which were now a bit frosted at the tips. "You are not going to _believe_ who it is."

"I'll take a wild guess." Astrid's own grin, though weak, was bright and ear to ear. "Stoick? But in the grand scheme of things, I'll even take Snotlout at this point," she joked, giving an excited little nuzzle to her unhappy baby, who was shivering from the cold. "Hear that? We're going home," she whispered. "Our little rescue crew is coming to take us back to Berk."

...Rescue crew? Hiccup blinked and chuckled nervously, realizing that he had refrained from informing her what exactly had come to rescue them. Hopefully she hadn't pictured a ship or an armada., "Then... I have a feeling you're going to love this. Can you stand?" He gently questioned, beckoning her forward.

Astrid gave a determined nod, though Hiccup recognized a flicker of hesitant caution in her eyes. Her resolve had been greatly collected upon hearing of hope. "Yeah, I got this in the satchel," she insisted with a murmur, using her legs to scoot back against Stormfly's side, carefully raising herself up. Hiccup kept a cautious arm out, just in case she were to fall from that position.

She flinched. Oh! There was a sharp tinge of pain protesting from her nether regions due to her unwanted movement. "Do-Do you think you can lend me a hand?" She wheezed in embarrassment, keeping a careful hold on the infant as Hiccup gripped underneath her arms and gently guided her out from under the dragons' shelter.

The cold hit her like a door slammed to the face, and Astrid could only imagine how her son was holding up as he shook in her numb arms. "L-Let's do this," she chattered, shivering uncontrollably as the cold air bit at her exposed skin. "Bye, Stormfly. S-Stay safe! W-Where are w-w-we g-go-going?"

Hiccup bit his bottom lip and nodded toward the edge of the steepish cliff. "That," he clarified, "is where we're being picked up." Astrid turned on unstable, shaky legs, and that's when she caught sight of the immense clouds that were approaching at an impossible speed. What was once hovering non-threateningly over the horizon was now aggressively looming overhead. The shadows from said clouds were quickly shrouding them, eradicating any soft glow of light that may have inhabited the area firstly.

"Wh-Whoa," the Viking whimpered, motherly instincts automatically kicking in as her number one priority was to her shield her child from this storm. "I-I-I have NO idea how I missed that earlier." The wind was whipping her braid from side to side, nearly undoing it completely as if to say, "Just look at how easily we can manipulate. Why, we could whip you in half if we very well wanted to and you couldn't do a thing. Not a thing."

Astrid blew a bit of air out, purposely disturbing her bangs before taking a tiny step forward. The pain after that was so sharp and so intense that she nearly fell, but luckily, her partner was there to help.

"Baby steps, baby steps," Hiccup assured the girl, carefully keeping his hold on her toned body as she inched forward through the rocky ground. "That's it. We'll be out of here before you know it."

"We'd better," Astrid groaned, attempting to speed up her pace. "Bucket wasn't exaggerating about the s-storm, wasn't he?" Never in her life had Astrid yearned to be home, her family safe and sound in the warmth. She could endure a little more pain if her story could reach that ending. It was worth it.

It took quite some time of coaxing an exhausted Astrid who'd only given birth minuets before to approach the cliff side with an awaiting, impatient Snotlout at the bottom.

Astrid blinked as she peered over the edge to ogle the boy down below. "He's our rescue crew?"

Hiccup grinned sheepishly. "Not expecting that, huh? SNOTLOUT!"

Snotlout jolted and threw his head backward, nearly dislodging his helmet as he stared at the other Vikings. "WHA-OOOH!" He had caught sight of the bundle in the female's arms, but there was no time for questions. "OKAY!" He pointed toward the clouds. "WE HAVE TO GO RIGHT NOW YOU GUYS! THAT STORM'S APPROACHING PRETTY FAST! YOU'RE GONNA HAFTA JUMP!"

"JUMP?! WHADDAYA MEAN, JUMP?!" Astrid shouted, swallowing hard at the drop. In all honesty, she could have handled a fall like that if she weren't in the condition she was in. "ARE YOU CRAZY?! THAT'S LIKE FIFTEEN FEET!"

"OH, STOP ACTING LIKE BABIES!" The Jorgenson boy snapped, trying his hardest to keep the rowboat steady.

"THAT'S PRECISELY THE ISSUE, IDIOT! IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, WE HAVE ONE!" Astrid shouted back, heat rising to her cheeks. She turned to Hiccup, her voice hoarse and furious which caused him to flinch. "Can you do me a favor and tell your clueless cousin that I can't jump that far?"

"No...No, you're right," Hiccup muttered slowly, contemplating. He perked a moment later, an idea coming to mind. "Hey, Toothless!" He called to the nestled Nightfury, who was gazing upon the humans in curiosity and rising concern. "C'mere, Bud!"

Toothless complied with a grumble, arising from his nest and giving Stormfly a quick grooming to her scales before rushing over to join the periled teenagers. "_I don't zhink zhis eez a good idea, vhatever eet may be_," the dragon warbled uncertainly, peering over the cliff side and catching sight of the boy in the rowboat. He glanced back at his rider, who was jabbering on and making complicated hand motions that he couldn't comprehend.

"Alright, Astrid," Hiccup instructed, carefully retrieving the bundle from her shivering arms. "Here's what's going to happen. I want you to take hold of Toothless's tail. He's going to drape it over the edge and lower you down, into the boat, WHERE SNOTLOUT WILL CATCH YOU!" He shouted the last bit over the edge, "okay?"

"...Great," Astrid groaned, sidestepping her way over to Toothless's large form. The dragon casually examined her with his curious jade eyes, inquisitive to see what she was going to do. "Hey...Toothless, don't mind me," Astrid murmured, wincing harshly as she leaned over to take hold of his tail in her iron grip.

"Grroo?" Toothless crooned in confusion, lifting a forepaw while giving a slight shake to see if the female would let go. She of course didn't, and the Nightfury frowned as she made her way over the edge of the cliff side whilst using his tale as some sort of rope substitute. "_Vhat ahre zhou doing, youngling_?" He scolded. "_Zhou're een no condition for physical strain! Zhou should be resting_!"

His untranslatable gurgles were ignored by all humans, and Astrid let out a small shriek as she let go of the tail and into the awaiting arms of her rescuer, who couldn't help but smirk as he stood regally at the stern thwart.

"Get off," she grumbled, brushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Her knees buckled beneath her weight as a result from the constant rocking of the boat and over-exertion. With a pained gasp, the female Viking scooted herself toward the backseat of the tiny place and tried to shelter herself beneath it.

Hiccup's case might have been a might bit tougher, what with having a completely helpless infant in his arms, but with the assistance of Toothless's tail and Snotlout's cooperation, he was able to shimmy himself down into the boat and collapse with a breathless sigh.

The reptile stared down at them worriedly. "_Godspeed, youngling_."

"Whoa, you guys look like you've been to Fort Sinister and back," Snotlout casually mused as he sat down at the helm, earning himself a death glare from Astrid and an exasperated deadpan from Hiccup. He shrugged defensively. "Just saying," he muttered, taking the oars into his callused hands and officially beginning the long trip home. All three teenagers took one last look at the island, giving their silent goodbyes.

Toothless watched them leave, curious, but not upset. "_Go on,_" he encouraged. _"Ah suppose eet eez best that zhou return to zhour natural habeetat. Auf Wiedersehen_!"

Hiccup clung to his shivering child and crawled over to Astrid on shaky legs, trying to avoid a pratfall as the tiny rowboat rocked and shook from the aggressive sea. With a tiny gasp, he collapsed next to Astrid and gently laid his son, who was quietly sobbing, between them. It took a moment to collect any resolve the two might have still had at that point, and even then, they were still on edge. Why wouldn't they be? And though her azure eyes were closed, Astrid's arms managed to work their way to her intended destinations: one resting at Hiccup's freezing side, her fingers clutching at his forest tunic, the other hand wrapping around the shivering little bundle and pressing it against her chest.

"I'll be honest," she whispered, feeling her insides churn along with the rocking motions of the boat. "I'm not feeling my finest."

Hiccup forced himself to sit up, tiredly rubbing the bags under his eyes. "Do you need to throw up?" He inquired, nasally voice hoarse from his previous shouts. The girl shook her head and Hiccup gave her a reassuring smile, as well as a small kiss to the cheek. "Hang tight. We'll be home before you know it."

It was strange, really, to see the girl this immobile and listless. It was if all the energy she had possessed was cruelly sucked from her being, leaving her nothing more than a soft, dreary lump. Being far from the norm, it worried Hiccup greatly. She needed a healer. Gothi, at best. Only she would be able to figure out what was ailing the poor new mother.

Snotlout rowed on and approached the iceberg field with a determined yet over-confident expression adorning his face, raising the suspicion that perhaps his cockiness could possibly get in the way of what he logically could and could not do. Splashes of salty sea-water spurted over the rims and onto the deck of the boat, splattering Hiccup as he attempted to shield Astrid with his body.

"Snotlout?" Hiccup croaked, cautiously taking hold of his partner as the older male rowed on. "You... You sure you know what you're doing?"

Snotlout snorted. "Oh please," he scoffed, not even looking ahead for the upcoming wedges of frozen ocean. "I got this in the..." He trailed off, looking quite unsure of himself.

"...Satchel?" Hiccup politely supplied with a weak grin etched onto his face.

Snotlout snapped his fingers and grinned toothily. "Yeah, that's it. And to answer your question, of course I know what I'm doing. I've been manhandling oars since I was a tyke. You know, little?"

Hiccup nodded blankly, wondering how it was that the boat hadn't sunk yet. "You know, I would hate t' interrupt your self-induced prowess, but there is a bastion of ice up ahead that I think you should be watching out for." Snotlout took a start. He had the grace to look over his shoulder and NOT jolt in surprise upon seeing that his cousin was correct.

"Oh," he muttered under his breath. He leapt into action and took hold of both oars in his iron grip. "Hang on tight, you two-three," he warned, getting into position as the ice approached. "This may be a bumpy ride."

"Odin help us," Astrid groaned, clutching her son to her chest as tightly as she could with hurting his fragile form. Hiccup said nothing, but squeezed his emerald eyes shut in preparation of what was to come.

The first jolt came after a few minuets of unsurprisingly bumpy sailing. Snotlout may have lacked a bit in the brains department, but nobody dared question his brawn. Leaning back, he used the oars, and even his own hands and feet to push away from the icebergs and still navigate the boat through the mess. At one point, Hiccup had offered his help.

"Hey Snotlout, are you sure you don't need any help?" He asked as his cousin grunted and sweat from the exertion.

The chocolate-haired boy wiped his brow with his sleeveless arms and hocked a loogie over the rim of the boat. "Relax. I'm fine," he assured the smaller male. "Trust me, nothing can get past me."

No sooner than those words left his lips when a extremely rough jolt rattled his stance and sent him toppling over and landing on his rump upon the deck. Hiccup groaned as Snotlout sat there in a daze before jumping up and peering over the side of the rowboat.

"Whoa-Whoa!" Hiccup cried as his cousin's movement caused the thing to rock even more so. "Ah-AH! Oh...man. Oh man oh man oh man. Snotlout," he asked with a deadpanned expression, "what just happened? And for everyone's sake, don't sugarcoat it!"

The bulky boy swallowed hard. "Well, um..." He placed his rigid hands on the rim of the vessel and observed their surroundings. It had seemed that he had efficiently steered them right in between two masses of ice, wedging them snugly in between. Perfect.

"Uh, I'm tasting ice," Astrid glowered, straining her muscles as she forced herself to sit up. And what she saw next caused her to stiffen, her heart plunging to her stomach. Oh no. Oh no, no, no. "Uh, guys?" she weakly beckoned, pointing to the center of the boat's floor. The boys followed her gesture and gasped. Peaking out from a now shredded wooden deck was a single ice-sheath, thin but sharp, mind you. Thank goodness it hadn't speared anyone.

"You must've rowed over it without knowing," Astrid quietly confirmed. She carefully stood as the water begun to seep into their vessel and drench the bottom of their boots. Thor almighty.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup snapped, trying to calm the fury rising from the pit of his stomach. His cousin winced, realizing the gravity of what trouble they were in. "You-Don't tell me you didn't see that!"

"Yeah?" Snotlout challenged. "I'd like to see _your_ toothpick arms row us to safety."

Hiccup harrumphed miserably, gently poking the ice with the toe of his prosthetic foot. Water spurted from the crevice as all three teenagers stood staring at it in uncertainty. "This...might get wet."

"Hope you two are good swimmers," Snotlout guiltily sighed as he cracked his neck, glancing sorrowfully at the bundle in Astrid's arms and winced once more.

Hiccup shook his head in irritation and groaned, grabbing his own hair in frustration and mounting anger. Why was it that they had to suffer setback after setback?! "I cannot believe our luck," he grumbled sarcastically.

Astrid wasted no time in stepping out of the boat and onto the ice, which was thankfully thick and flat enough for a person to walk on. She stilled, adjusting to the slipperiness as well as surface motion. "Well, we can't just stay on the boat," she pointed out. "It'll sink anyway."

Snotlout made a face and lifted one of his boots, which by then had absorbed an abundance of icy salt water. He licked his lips and turned to his cousin, arms out for balance as he stepped out of the rowboat. "Can't we just dislodge it from the-" a great rumbling sound appeared from nowhere as another great iceberg swooped into view, successfully bumping the iceberg beneath the boat out of the way, which effectively dislodged the shard from the bottom of said boat.

Snotlout perked. "Killer! Now all we gotta do is plug that up!" He exclaimed, pointing the geyser that had overtaken their vessel. Astrid, from the ice, and Hiccup, from his spot on the boat, stared at the hole, then Snotlout, and then at each other.

"You know, I'd hate to rain on everyone's parade-no pun intended," he mumbled while gesturing towards the thunderclouds above them. Astrid shrugged nonchalantly. "-But if we're going to strategically plan out an escape, it's got to involve logic. With that being said, the leak is just-its just too big. I'm sorry."

"Oh," Snotlout muttered. He'd been so sure that they could use Hiccup's prosthetic as a plug. Undeterred, he suggested, "Can't you make a raft out of it? I could tear and scrap that thing apart with my face!" He flexed his exhausted limbs with a cocky grin.

After being summoned from the catamaran by a concerned Astrid, Hiccup sighed and shook his head. "With what? Usually when I scrap, I at least use tools from the Forge. And from the looks of it, I've got goose eggs."

"Irrelevant- Wait, goose eggs?" Snotlout mumbled in confusion, causing Hiccup to pause with both hands on the rim and one leg over. "What're you talking about? Look, if you're sticking it to me about forgetting supplies, in my defense, I left immediately after Meatlug took you."

"Wha-no! It-oh, really? Thank you for your...um...hastiness. That means a lot. See, ah, it's an expression," he explained with a sigh, distracted enough by his cousin's abashment to be oblivious to the subtle shift of the boat.

What little weight he possessed disturbed the stance of the boat against the ice, and was slowly moving it. Astrid, however, noticed the slight displacement and peered closer while the boys conversed.

"You know. Ah, a goose egg is the equivalent to nothing. So that's what I meant since we are currently is the possession of-" he snapped his fingers across his face in a quick "Z" motion, "-nothing." The boat gave a creaky groan, causing him to still.

"What the-?"

Astrid fearfully gasped and speedily moved forward across the ice with an outstretched hand, the other clutching her son. "Hiccup, the boat's tipping-!"

The teenager's emerald eyes widened in confusion, and his mouth opened in question before the boat gave way and _flipped_ over upside-down-taking Hiccup with it with a splash. The vessel completely overturned, leaving no space between its walls and the ice it was wedged between.

It took a few moments for both Snotlout and Astrid to snap out of their horrified stupors, but once they did, it was awful. Astrid let out a rare screech, her heart nearly palpating out of her heaving chest as her thoughts turned toward the worst.

"Oh Gods, oh-oh _Gods_, no!" She begged, getting down on her knees and trying to squeeze her hand between the boat and the ice, but it was no use. Hiccup was officially trapped beneath the boat with ice on all sides. There was no way for him to reach the surface unless they turned the boat back over from its "belly-side up" position.

Snotlout leapt into action, taking hold of a random part of the boat and heaved with great difficulty. "I... Can't... Move it!" He strained through gritted teeth. The Viking tried his mightiest, he truly did, but the boat it seemed was undoubtedly stuck. "I'm... Trying!"

"Try harder!" Astrid barked, feeling oh-so helpless sitting there with her baby to her chest while her cousin-in-law yanked at the vessel with all of his might. "We gotta get him outta there! We have to! He'll die in that ocean! Oh sweet _Freyja,_ Hiccup!" She moaned, clawing hysterically at the ice. The worst just might happen. The worst might have already happened, and she was a fear-stricken mess at the very thought of it.

"Please," the girl whispered, her hand upon the boat. Her heart pace quickened like the thrumming of a caged bird's wingbeat as panic ensued. Time passed.

Beads of sweat were beginning to collect on Snotlout's forehead, from both the physical exertion and despair. The hair on the back of his neck prickled in anticipation. What if he couldn't get Hiccup out? What if he drowned-no, what if froze to death?! Of everything that could have gone wrong, and it was all his fault. If he hadn't crashed the Gods-forsaken boat, then they wouldn't have gotten out in the first place and Hiccup wouldn't have met his untimely demise. He shuddered, trying to keep his sanity intact.

Nobody was known to fall into the ocean in the dead of winter and come out alive. Nobody.

"_Hiccup_!" Astrid cried to match the notes of hysteria wailing from her poor child as he shivered miserably. "Hiccup, please! Please no! No... Gods... No... Don't take him. Please Ægir, don't take him..." She begged the God of the sea. On the brink of total misery, her body gave way and she sunk down to her knees. She gracefully curled in on herself and her son, her golden, messy bangs brushing against the icy floor. "Don't take him..." She murmured, resting her cheek against the baby's forehead. "Don't take him... Don't take him to Valhalla; not yet." She couldn't bare to look at her son's face. Not now. Not when he other half of his creator was somewhere in the depths of the indigo sea, splattering them mercilessly with sea spray.

"No... No..."

The teenage male was struggling. Not only couldn't he get a proper hold on the boat, but his strength wasn't making a dent. The ice had done a successful job on its own part. "Urrrg! ...I CAN'T! I can't do it!" Snotlout yelled in frustration, finally letting go of the boat before giving it an unforgiving kick. "ODIN!" How dare the vessel fail him?! It was supposed to deliver all four of them home safely, but instead it had succeeded the murder of his cousin. Out of restlessness and fury, he yanked his horned helmet from atop his head and slammed it into the ice, a few feet from Astrid's shivering form. "GAHHH!" He gave one last angry scream that the Thundering Thor might have heard himself, before sinking to his knees in defeat.

A frightening silence overtook the atmosphere.

He failed. He failed them. Not just Hiccup, not just Astrid, not just himself, but the poor infant that had been dragged into this horrible mess. With a miserable moan, he brought his knees up to his face and wrapped his arms around them. "I can't," he repeated, shaking his head. "I-I'm so sorry, Astrid. I _can't_."

He was gone. Hiccup, the heir to Berk, the dragon trainer that had ended a three-hundred-year war singlehandedly...barely a young adult...

The usually verbal warrior had gone silent, her figure still hunched over like a scolded Terrible Terror. This time, the baby was away from her chest and resting in the crevice of her thighs when they were pressed together, the tendrils of her spiked skirt splayed out to make room. Snotlout had never seen her like this before.

Usually, Astrid responded to sadness in a simple way: grab an axe and demolish a tree. But this... This seemed to have sucked the life, as well as the tears, right out of her. She was nothing more than a listless heap of sadness.

"A-Astrid," Snotlout choked, crawling over to her side. Her eyes were dimmed, and the color of scarlet, glassy. He followed her clouded gaze where she was gazing absentmindedly at the tiny bundle of life in her lap, his thumb gently stroking its rosy-from-the-cold, cheek.

Despite all that had just happen, Snotlout couldn't help but feel a pang of endearment for the small child. This was the first time he'd gotten a good look at the child. He cringed. It was as if his cousin had come back to life, like that reincarnation thing he'd heard about. It did nothing to brighten the situation, if it could be brightened at all.

"Oh man, Astrid," he muttered, too guilty to meet her gaze. Instead, he focused on the boat, where frost was now beginning to form on the belly-side-up portion of the boat. Neither of them noticed the fog that was overtaking the area.

Thick swirls of mist swallowed up the sea-stacks, icebergs, and the sea itself, leaving a shrouded enshrinement containing himself, her, and the little one. "I-I-I am so sorry," he mumbled, his chocolate eyes reddening. "I...I...It's all my fault."

"I don't blame you," came Astrid's extremely sullen reply, her dead gaze considerably hardening. It was then that Snotlout realized she was staring at the space above her son's head at the ice, not directly at him.

"You... You don't?" Snotlout whispered, his eyes widening. That was unexpected. "But... But I'm the Viking who sunk our boat-the guy who got you into this mess in the first place!" He slapped a hand against his forehead. Never in his life had he feel so drained and useless. Why had his brawn failed him? "Ugh, I'm such an idiot."

"What do you mean? You rescued us," Astrid reminded him with a hollow laugh. Snotlout internally shuddered. Her voice sounded so hollow, so empty. "Tried, anyway." She looked away and Snotlout couldn't bring himself to bestow any more shocking news upon her. It would be too much for her to handle.

Instead, he tried to comfort her the best way he could while struggling not to burst into tears, by laying a hand on her armored shoulder. Sure, he and Hiccup had never truly been on good terms, but he was nonetheless family. They had grown up together and he would never be happy that Hiccup had gone. Never...

Snotlout had the decency to bow his head and mourn for the other male. What a horrible death to endure. If Hiccup hadn't drowned to death, he surely would have frozen first. Every appendage, starting with his fingers and toes. Those would freeze first. His insides would be struggling so they would transfer the heat from the other appendages like his arms and legs to keep his organs warm; so those limbs would freeze as well. At that point, his entire body would go numb, his internal organs struggling to process, his heart still frantically beating. But then he'd run out of air, and his heart rate would slow. Little by little, the cold would seep into his veins and overtake his body from the inside out. His heart would give its last final beat-

"Urg-" Snotlout scrambled to the edge of the ice and began to dry heave. He couldn't take this. It was too much. Everything was too much. The fights, the pregnancy, the poisoned drinks in mugs, his cousin, the widow, their survival that was surely diminishing by the second- EVERYTHING. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. "It's not *heave* fair," he whispered, clutching the ice with his frozen fingers, his head bowed. "It *heave* It... *cough* It isn't _fair_..."

"Snotlout? 'Lout?" Astrid croaked, watching the teenage male self-destruct at the water's edge. "Hey, what're-what do you think you're doing? Snotlout?"

The burly Viking shrugged, glancing back at the overturned rowboat, watching it creak and churn with the current. He glared at it. Oh, so NOW it decided to move. Stupid vessel. "Oh, you know," he replied casually, yet there was an obvious strain in his voice. "Just wallowing in my basking glory-Oh wait. Ha! No, I'm not. 'Cause I just _killed_ my _cousin_!" He shouted, waving his arms in the air for emphasis.

"Wait, Snotlout-"

"I should've gotten his dad to come."

"Snotlout-"

"No, I should've gotten a bigger boat!"

"Snotl-"

"I should've gotten the whole stinking fleet if that's what it took, but noooo-"

"Snotlout, SHUT UP!" Astrid hissed, thrusting an open palm at him to halt. She cocked her head to the side, ears pricked. "Do you hear-look!" She pointed to the overturned vessel, to the very top of its curved belly, which would be the deck if it were upright. At the very top center of said deck, where the hole had been shredded by the ice shard, something was emerging, trying to poke through the small opening.

It was small, white, freckled, and shaking frantically in the biting air of Devastating winter. It was a hand. Hiccup's hand.

It took a moment for both teens to collect their resolve. Snotlout leapt for the boat and clutched the pale, shivering appendage with his own callused one. "Hiccup!" He cried frantically, his heart rate rising higher than it ever had. "Hiccup! Can you hear me?" He listened closely, pressing his face against the boat. A small, hoarse whimper was his only reply, and Snotlout could just make out the sound of chattering teeth emitting from beneath the boat. Even so, those noises alone struck his chords of euphoria, and he could have cheered in relief.

Oh, of course! When the boat overturned, it hadn't sunk completely, leaving Hiccup trapped beneath it in a sort of airlock, unable to come up on any side of said boat due to the ice. That was all well and fine, but how on Berk were they going to get him out of there?! The time it took for them to realize he was under there was more than enough time for him to freeze, or at the very least get hypothermia.

Snotlout wildly motioned a very hysterical Astrid over, who was struggling to keep her happiness contained, and ordered, "Take hold of his hand and don't let go of it until I tell you!" Astrid was never one to take orders, especially from this numbnut, but for Hiccup's sake, she complied. Child in one hand and Hiccup's frozen fingers in the other, she squeezed it gratefully, thanking Ægir with the upmost gratitude for not taking him to Valhalla just yet.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," she warned herself as she examined his appendage with concern. His hand was the same tint of white as the ice surrounding them on all sides, the blue veins snaking along his pale-yellow palm scarily visible. He was freezing. "I don't know if you can hear me, Hiccup," she murmured as Snotlout took hold of one of the wooden planks, "but you're one of the strongest people I know. You're gonna make it."

Snotlout let out a big exhale, cracked his neck, and literally ripped away one of the deck's planks, tossing it carelessly over his shoulder once the task was complete. Astrid kept an iron grip on Hiccup the entire time, even when Snotlout had torn away half the deck and was able to tug a very limp, soaking-cold Hiccup through the opening, who was alive. Just barely.

"Hiccup!" Astrid cupped one of Hiccup's pale cheeks and nearly jerked her hand away. His skin was felt like it had melded into his surrounding environment. And his clothes... The synthetic fabrics of his forest tunic was designed for their cool Northern airs of Scandinavia. However, it gave no protection against even an autumn draft, let alone the bitter onslaught of winter. The wind penetrated the fibers with absurd ease and every drop of icy ocean water soaked through the instant of it's impact. What was even more horrifying was how listless he was, dumbed down and immobile as his senses slowly numbed away.

"He's-He's not even shivering!" Snotlout firmly grasped the boy by the scrawny shoulders, dragging his lithe, motionless body across the ice until he got to a spot that was considerably thicker for them to rest. After the group had settled, Snotlout draped himself over his cousin's body and began stripping him of his tunic.

Astrid's azure eyes widened in uncertainty of Snotlout's unexpected actions and blanched, but remembered that this was a required step to treat a Viking who'd fallen into a frozen state. Snotlout yanked off his own furry vest and spread it upon the ice, laying Hiccup upon right after removing the soaking-wet tunic from his body.

"I'll leave the leggings," Snotlout mumbled, trying to keep his cool as he frantically rubbed at Hiccup's motionless arms and hands, trying to transfer his own body heat to the other Viking. "I'll just- Odin, I can't believe he's alive."

Astrid could hardly believe it herself. Especially since Hiccup didn't physically match any number of things that being "alive" would look like. His inhales and exhales were considerably slow, and his emerald were staring dead ahead at the dark, stormy clouds above them. "Hiccup? Hiccup, are you okay?" She found herself asking, still incredibly nervous for his health. She knelt down to his side and put a hand on his chest, where she could feel the sluggish thump-thump of his heart beat. "Can you speak?"

Hiccup didn't answer her, not directly at first, for his eyes seemed transfixed on an odd opening of the storm clouds. This opening allowed a tiny sliver of light to shine through and onto the teens. Astrid gulped and tried to run a hand though his frosted hair to gain his attention. "Hiccup? Hiccup, can you speak?"

Perhaps his vocal chords had frozen. There had been many a case like that in the Berserker tribe, or so she had heard, when a person grew so cold in the frigid airs that their voice itself froze. Oh, how she longed to hear him speak. She'd even take one of his annoying, little sassy remarks.

"Valkyries." The sound of his hoarse, nasally voice was no more than a forced whisper, but Astrid jumped on his response like it was a lifeline.

"Hiccup! Talk to me, please," she whispered back, following his lie of sight. "His gaze hadn't moved from the sliver of light in the clouds. Snotlout spared her a worried glance as Hiccup's once shocked expression broke out into a smile.

"There are...Valkyries...there..." He was awestruck gazing into that sliver of light. "They're up...there...singing..." The hand Snotlout was holding slowly pointed a finger upward, toward the light. The older Viking shook his head and wrapped his furry vest around Hiccup's lithe form. He hardly seemed to notice it.

"Haha. Yeah," Snotlout laughed nervously at the mentions of angels and immediately thought of Valhalla. Well, at least he hadn't envisioned the demons of Helhiem. "Don't say things like that; you're starting to freak me out, drama Chief." He pulled Hiccup from his lying position and tugged him into his lap to try and heat him up.

"He's dying," Astrid's subconscious wailed. Why else would Hiccup be speaking of angels at a time like this? Well, he wants going to die. Not then, not before, not now. "Forget about it," Astrid snapped to the motionless figure. "You're not going to Asgard anytime soon. Not on our watch, right Snotlout?"

The boy seldom flinched, but at that swear, he most certainly did. "And he won't! ...IF we get him to someplace warm. And where would that be?" He made a fake observation of their surrounding environment and stifled a frustrated scream. "Oh yeah, haha: NOWHERE!"

Astrid growled. "Well, we have to do something!" She argued. "We can't just sit around and wait for him to freeze to death, can we?"

"Although I love a good back-breaking exercise, I am not iceberg hopping!" Snotlout snapped back. "Then I would fall in and you'd somehow have to pull me out. Besides, it's not like an armada's just going to show up and-_Oh my Thor_!" He finished with a shout, his chocolate widening like they never had before.

Astrid stiffened in confusion and followed her cousin-in-law's star-struck gaze behind her until she too caught sight of the quickly approaching fleet. "Wh-Wha-?!" She gasped. "Who on Berk sails a Friggin armada in the middle of Devastating Winter?"

"The-The ah... Um..." Snotlout was too shocked to speak clearly. "The Visithugs? Madguts the Murderous? Alvin? Nah, I'm sure the Gods just don't think it's our time to go."

Astrid was thoughtful for a moment and looked up back to the clouds, where the sliver of light had disparaged back into the thundering mass of storm clouds. A shimmer of a smile appeared on her face, and it was then when she noticed the symbol on the leading ship: the Skrill.

Skrill?

SKRILL?!

SKRILL!?

"Oh," she deadpanned, her hope rapidly plummeting like a rock thrown in a lake. "Dagur the Deranged." There was a silence. "Why am I not surprised?"

**...**

**Author's Note: "Tyke" originated from Old Norse, which was their equivocate of the B-Word. OOOOOOOOOH! Cool. Heh. Anyway, we've come such a long way since the isolated island and our heroes still haven't returned home! Will Hiccup survive? How will Dagur react upon seeing our favorite Viking teens? All your questions shall be answered in the next chapter, so please don't be shy. Shout out YOUR opinions, YOUR suggestions, and YOUR predictions! Leave a review, for old time's sake, favorite and follow. Let's see if we cam reach two hundred in anything!**

**And over 34,000 views? HURRAH! I love you all! :D**


	14. The Final Family Reunion

**Author's Note: Oh boy, do I have questions upon questions to answer concerning my beloved timeline that I've already managed to screw up, with that being: Dagur's appearance. Now, a lot of you are saying that Dagur first appeared to us AFTER the events of Gift of The Nightfury, therefore neither Hiccup nor Astrid would know who he was. Well, that's not necessarily true because we know that Dagur and Hiccup had a history even before the episode came out. They mention childhood romps and such, so that would mean that they would have known each other _before_ my awesome story.**

**Still, turns out I've got a long things wrong with my story that I haven't noticed before. Haha. But I suppose I couldn't pull a wall over your eyes, huh? Oh, and by the way: it's a FAN-FICTION. ...Fiction. Fiction! It's moi story, and I can write it anyway I want, so HAH! Anyway, welcome to the final installment of "Mishap by Mug", which does not include the upcoming epilogue that I promise will rock the house. I also want to apologize for the terribly long wait you've all had to endure, because I truly understand what it's like to wait for a story that the author hasn't finished. It is literally nothing but a wait filled to the brim with agony. _Ceaseless_ agony.**

**Commence the Responses:**

**SnookStar3Hiccstrid: *serves the chapter to you on a silver platter* You're story, ma'am...or sir.**

**Djberneman: Dude, you really have it out for Snotlout, don't you? I-I mean, GOSH! XD I think the rest of the readers at this point have at least forgiven him, but you still have it out for him to be killed! It's flippin' hilarious, bro! And to be honest, I don't think there's ever a moment in a teenage Viking's life where he's either relaxed or content. Especially in Hiccup's case. He had a ton of responsibility to deal with before all this and he's going to have a ton of responsibility now. To put it blatantly, and in terms of responsibility, nothing has changed. Plus, it's not like the teens have never dealt with duty or responsibility before. **

**Rainbow Awesome Dash: I know. May your curiosity burn within a fiery pit of death.**

**hiccup: Oh, cool. My real name is Tinky-Winky. I know it sounds far-fetched but it's true. **

**MidnightPhantom84: Don't you worry about the baby. It will prosper, hopefully.**

**TheGameGrmupGirl: Maybe. Or-OOF! Dagur: I may or may not love to give my prisoners the Blood Eagle every once in a while. Or not. HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHHAH.**

**A Person Who Like Comedy: AS MUCH AS I HATE THE USE OF CAPS, THERE IS JUST SOMETHING SO CHARMING ABOUT THE WAY YOU DO IT. YOU ARE NEITHER IRRITATING NOR ANNOYING. BLESS YOU AND YOUR SUBTLE REVIEWS.**

**FluentFletcher2: I'm going to be completely honest. I just put Dagur in the story because I wanted to make it longer. I'm a horrible person and I'm completely lazy when it comes to my writing-PSYCH! I actually put Dagur in my story because I think he's a hilarious villain, and I wanted him to make an appearance. It may seem a little weird to some people, but for me it's completely normal. But then again, my normal is waking up at six and taking the time to run seven miles before 9:00 AM. ...I got a sweet body though.**

**Jo: Actually, it's me. Life is _helping_ them along; _I'm_ the one not giving them a break. XD**

**Guest (one): Thanks, boylie! (In correspondence to your term: girlie) It's such a shame that you don't have an account but that's all right because we have anonymous reviews on our side. **

**KingPLazma: Don't worry! Emma Harness is here to save the day!**

**DisneyandDreamworksfangirl: I have actually watched "Race to the Edge." It's alright... I suppose... I don't know. I guess I'm just not really into it as I am into the shorts and the movies. /:**

**Plzplzplzplz listen: Oh, cripes man, I have no idea what you're talking about. But the Dagur thing is an awesome idea! Totally credited to you!**

**Manfred 151: Those are two completely different resolutions, and honestly, I was torn between the two while writing this. But in the end I wrote the best way I know how: by doing it as I go.**

**Nightless Fury: Thank you so much! :D I like your name by the way!**

**Hypernova: Toothless wouldn't save Astrid or Hiccup because even though most say that he is an intelligent animal, there isn't a grain of sense in his mind that tells him that female humans sometimes don't operate the way female dragons do. It'd be like my dopey Golden Retriever named Ellie. I'd be caught in a trap screaming for help, and she'd just be sitting there with this idiot grin on her face like, "I'm helping! Yay!" And since his hatchlings have come into the world, I believe that Toothless will definitely rely more on instinct to keep himself, his mate, and his babies alive.**

**Guardian of Azarath: Oh. Really? I had no idea! I thought there'd be a timeline lying around somewhere, but apparently not. I suppose people are going to run the timeline as the order movies and TV shows came out, but I never looked at it that way. Especially since "Race to The Edge" came out after "How to Train Your Dragon 2". But if that is really how it worked then, WHOOPS! XD Thank you for the notification. **

**Wat: Okay, I have to admit that I'm no fashionista, so forgive me for thinking that polyester existed a thousand years ago. Haha! Idiot moment! XD**

**hopelessromantic4life: ****ó****.****Õ**

**Angryhenry: AY! *pumps shotgun* ... *Southern accent* Ah suggest you shut yer mouth en watch yer language, boy! Or girl! Henry... Dat's a boy's name! Derpidee derpidee doo!**

**PrincessofAtlantis101: What's the magic word? Hm? Oh, would it be please? Ha! Silly me! Nobody ever says "PLEASE update" anymore. XD**

**Ollie: I know, right? It turns out a lot of the where that use originate from Scotland or Norse or Latin. All European, obviously.**

**SharKohen: With me as the author? Heck, no!**

**Guest (Two): ...Why thank you for summing that up. :D**

**Litwick723: Of COURSE I'm joking! Dagur's not ACTUALLY going to show up! HAHAHAHAHAHA! I gots ye gooooooooooood!**

**Guest (Three): Wow. I'm surprised my story had that kind of effect on you! To check regularly-that's an awesome thing to hear for me!**

**TheForsakenTwist: Buddy, here are 17,000-something words, just for you.**

**Note: **_For the last time, there is no swearing in my world. Please keep your reviews as clean as possible! Thank you kindly._

**Disclaimer: **_Because Santa Claus refused to abide by my Christmas Wishlist. Curses._

**_Chapter 14: The Final Family Reunion_**

The dense fog slowly but surely shrouding the area, almost entirely blocking the approaching armada from Astrid's view. The leading ship, the one decorated in fancy sails complete with a paint job that the Gods would envy, was closest. It was heading straight toward them, it's shadow looming over in the most intimidating of ways.

Of course, size was also an aggressive factor. These ships practically dwarfed Berk's own fleet by-well, a thousand. For a moment, Astrid wondered if the icebergs would stand a chance against the powerful vessels-and that included the rather thin sheet of ice she was currently resting upon.

Astrid and Snotlout glanced at each other in horror as the trademark cackle of Dagur's ominous voice dwarfed the audio of the waves in the surrounding area. Whether it be from subdued nervousness or the arcane cold, both Berkians began to quiver.

"Oh, come on! Really?" Snotlout groaned in exasperation, while Astrid observed the ships with uncertainty. The male slapped his horned helmet back upon his head with a clunk, in preparation for the battle that was sure to come. "Of ALL the nutjobs Odin had to offer, _Dagur the Deranged_ was his first choice?"

"Apparently so," Astrid affirmed in equivocate disappointment. "But you gotta admit, he's better than Madguts and Alvin. At least we can count on receiving _some_ sort of mercy from this guy." With a shaky grunt, she got to her feet and lifted her head high, narrowing her icy blue eyes with fortitude. The other teenager noticed her dogmatic stance and ogled her in confusion.

"What are you doing?!" He hissed totteringly. He reached up to give a sharp tug at her skirt, and earned himself a death-glare in the process. "Get down, dude! They're going to see you!"

"That's the idea, genius. We're flagging down the armada," Astrid replied as a matter-of-factly, and then once again shifted her attention back to the Berserker v-formation before shouting, "HEY! BERSERKERS! DOWN HERE!"

Snotlout let out a rather panicky, unmanly squeal before heckling, "Are you crazy?! Dagur's gonna kill us and wear our skulls as helmets if he sees us!"

"I don't doubt that," the girl admitted, gazing sorrowfully at the child in her arms, "but we have to take a chance. Even if that chance seems improbable." Astrid glanced at him skeptically. "Didn't you once _say_ that you could take out Dagur?" The burly boy shrugged, looking thoughtful (which was a small miracle within itself).

"Yeah, like one-on-one, hand-to-hand combat," he confessed hesitantly. "I never said I could take a thousand-ship fleet with like a bazillion armed Berserkers without Hookfang. That just might dwindle my chances of winning. Just a little though," he smirked, almost disregarding his barely-conscious cousin in his arms. "After all, I was top-dog in the Thawfest wrestling match for like, years on end!"

He shook his head when Astrid stared at him with deadpanned disinterest. "Never mind," he dismissed. "Astrid, as much as I hate to be the reasonable one, that guy's _nuts_."

"Completely bonkers," his counterpart agreed with a nod.

"What makes you think that he'd be any bit of help? And as much as I thought it was funny, he _did_ once stuff Fishlegs in a cage and force him to eat rotten cod heads," Snotlout reminded her with a small grin of reminiscence.

"Well, did it ever occur to you that Hiccup could die out here?!" Astrid bit.

"Did it ever occur to _you_ that he could die in the painted hands of one of our tribe's enemy?"

For that, Astrid had no retort, because what he repudiated made sense and was equitable in every way. They could very well be put to death on that ship if they didn't die of natural causes first. But still, there was a chance. And if there was a chance, she was going to take it. If only her cousin-in-law wasn't so stubborn! The girl groaned and turned her back on the fleet to further her dispute in the face of her opponent.

"For Goddesses' sake, Hiccup needs help!" She professed, gesturing wildly to the flaccid figure in Snotlout's arms. "And if Dagur's fleet is the only safe haven we've got at the moment, then we need to flag down that opportunity while we can, and take-OW!" Snotlout took a start as Astrid's azure eyes flew open, her back arching as her knees crumpled beneath her.

"Whoa, whoa. What-What happened?" Snotlout tensely muttered, apprehension evident on his face as the girl kneeled over, her eyes going foggy as she daintily crumpled to her side, Hiccup the Fourth noisily squirming against her motionless form. Knowing not of labor pains or anything of that nature dimmed his brashness just a bit.

"Uh...Astrid?" He whispered, leaning forward to poke the top of her head. "What the heck is going o-AUGH!" This time, it was he who yelped in pain, an acute pinching sensation invading his chest. For a moment, his mind went haywire. Arrow? Spear? Dagger? With an audible gulp, he glanced downward to discover a miniature dart with a scarlet-feathered end protruding from his exposed skin in his collar region.

He instinctively removed the dart with trembling fingers and saw with ascending devastation that an identical dart pierced the center of Astrid's back, a little beneath where her spine began its curve.

Before it dawned upon him, another dart appeared out of nowhere, striking the nearly delirious male in his arms and effectively silencing him. Snotlout gasped and yanked out the offending weapon, but it was too late. A wan smile appeared on Hiccup's face and his once tense form went limp.

"Oh...Oh no..." Snotlout whispered, his lie of sight becoming quite dark as the looming Berserker ship approached. He could barely make out the silhouettes of men scrambling across the deck, peering over the rail. They were beginning to sail right through the sheet of ice that the teens had taken refuge on. Then, the dizziness began to consume him, and he lost what little train of thought he had.

...

...

...

"Zzz..."

...

...

...

Snotlout was the first to come to, awoken by the rocking of whatever his body was sprawled out across. He was expecting to perceive the usual barrage of icy air, but strangely enough, he was comforted by a familiar yet distant sensation of warmth. It confused him. Was he dead? Surely, death had taken him upon the ice. Or perhaps, Dagur had sentenced him to death after he'd passed out. Well, he'd have to give the guy some credit for killing him while he was unconscious.

With his eyes remained closed, Snotlout coaxed his fingers into flexing, expecting them to be stiff from the cold as usual, but they came into contact with something rather soft and woolen. Fabric? Ooh, killer! A woolen quilt.

"_Sweet digs," _Snotlout contentedly smirked to himself, clutching a fistful of the fabric that was swathed across his body. _"Maybe I'm on my way to Asgard and this is the first stop to the rainbow bridge. Or...I guess it's just a dream." _

The male sighed and turned himself over on his side, burying his face into some sort of furry cloak. _"A pillow, too? Ha! These dreams spoil me,_" he snickered interiorly, wrapping his arms around the object to snuggle against it. "_Well, as much as I love a good battle with some Berserkers, this is pretty cool too. It's warm. I don't want to wake up..."_

"Can you _please_ not spoon me?" An exasperated, nasally voice sighed in irritation, as well as discomfort.

Snotlout's chocolate eyes popped open, and he shrieked upon the discovery that he'd instigated a cuddle with his cousin. _Male_...cousin. Oh, cripes. "AUGH-AAUGH! GUH-ROSS!" The Viking squawked, frenetically wiping his face with his hands and wiping said hands on Hiccup's back. "Speak _up_ next time!"

"I believe I did, but I offer my sincerest apologies anyway," the other boy groused, rubbing his fatigued eyes with a freckled hand. Snotlout snorted and sat up, wringing his callused hands in aversion before wiping them on the thick wool blanket that the wooden bed was sporting. Hm... Wait.

"Where are we?" The Viking respired, rubbing his head to pacify the dull thudding ache in his skull. Upon the realization that his helmet was missing, he probed about, and it wasn't long before he connected the puzzle pieces together, along with his cousin, who was trying to recollect his resolve.

They were in a small cabin, presumably a ship's cabin, due to the slow rocking movement of the area. It was rather dusky, but the few slight rays shining through the ceiling above allowed them a proper visual. It was a small room, the bed virtually taking up half the space while the other half was bare. Next to the door, there had to be pegs on the wall, with Snotlout's helmet resting upon one. "Oh...shoot..."

"How long was I out?" Hiccup sighed in exacerbation while he rested his perspiring forehead against his bunched knees. "And where did you say we were? Hopefully...our ah, our fleet?"

Snotlout snorted and quickly removed himself from the bed upon the embarrassing realization that he'd slept next to another guy. "Uh, I don't know. Why don't you ask Astrid?" He snapped mordantly, grabbing his helmet from its place on the wall to put back on his head. "Or better yet, why don't you ask good ol' Dagur how long it's been? I'm sure he'd love to fill you in once he's done torturing-"

"Dagur?" Hiccup reared back at the other male's outburst, his bloodshot eyes widening in surprise. "What-? How did-? Never mind," he dismissed, gingerly scooting himself to the edge of the bed. "Ugh... That explains why I feel like week-old cod," he moaned, rubbing the space between his eyes. "What...happened, exactly?"

Snotlout's hardened gaze softened a bit when he remembered that Hiccup had been quite out of it by the Berserker fleet had arrived, and probably had no idea where they were. But it reappeared once he remembered Hiccup's little misfortune that landed them in this particular calamity. "Um, _you_ tripped over your clumsy feet—er, _foot_, and ended up in the ocean…before I courageously rescued you, of course."

"You did? Well, thank you for that," Hiccup smiled a lopsided grin.

"You're welcome," Snotlout nodded rather smugly. "All in a day's work for this hunk of awesomeness."

"Oh, please don't be so humble," came Hiccup's sarcastic reply.

"I'll spare you it," Snotlout promised, and continued, "So while you were out like Gobber on Bork Week: poof! The Berserker tribe mysteriously appeared with their armada, or some...dung like that while I was trying to keep you from freezing. Don't ask me why. Dagur's just the king of armadas, I guess."

Hiccup groaned and flung himself back on the bed, his head landing on something rather solid. "Dagur. It's just one wonderful thing after the next, isn't it? Happy Snoggletog to us!" He muttered, and then sat up with a jolt. "Wait. Oh my Gods. Where's Astrid?!" Snotlout jumped as well.

"Astrid?!" Hiccup gasped again, bringing both hands up to his mouth to subdue a cry.

"Oh, _Frigg_!" Snotlout squealed with freakish volume. "You think Dagur's using the rack on her?! Or the thumbscrews?! The Blood Eagle?!"

"None of those. Hiccup's sitting on her," came an annoyed, muffled reply. Hiccup yelped and nearly jumped out of his skin once again as the lump he'd been resting upon shifted.

"O-Oh! Astrid!" Hiccup squeaked, wrenching himself away from said lump. "Hi-Astrid-Hi Astrid. Did NOT see you there!"

The girl grumbled and flung the quilt off of her wearied body. She looked undeniably disheveled from this most recent event, but oddly enough, it appeared that she had been cleaned, free of dirt and the layer of grime she'd grown accustomed to, and even her clothes gave off the ambiance of cleanliness. Huh... She had been tended to. If the boys had been paying a bit more attention to themselves, they would have noticed their own cleanliness as well. But then was not a time. Hiccup watched as Astrid gingerly got to a sitting position and swung her legs off the bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her.

"I've been better," she replied with a grunt, stretching out her shoulder blade with a sickening crack. "More importantly: how are YOU doing?"

Hiccup gave a noncommittal shrug. "Been better," he answered truthfully, because despite the luxury, he did look under the weather. His skin had drastically paled, which brought out the dark of his freckles, his emerald eyes had notably dimmed, and his limbs themselves almost seemed detached. After experiencing what it was like to become a human ice cube, he was shaken up and admittedly distant. But... "I'll live."

Astrid gave a grin of relief and looked about while she stretched out her muscles. She perked. "Well," she said, "at least we're out of the cold-"

"-And honored guests within the vessel of a psychotic Berserker," Hiccup finished with a nonchalant gesticulation. "Not my first choice of rescue, but nonetheless."

"Pfft. I'm just shocked they haven't beaten information out of us yet about the dragons," Snotlout acknowledged, trying out the door and was largely surprised to find that it was unlocked. "Or at the very least, use your kid against you in order to... Oh."

"…HICCUP!" Both Astrid and Hiccup shouted, their fear-filled voices melding perfectly together in unison. An uncomfortable silence fell heavily around everyone present, the two youngest teens especially, while the third looked at them with sympathy.

"Ooh," Snotlout sucked in a breath through his teeth. "That's gotta be rough."

"Uh, yeah. No kidding, knucklehead!" Astrid barked, catapulting her supposedly spent body out of bed before marching towards the door. The privy knowledge of her baby's whereabouts seemed to strengthen her spirit, and the girl who had trouble walking not too long ago was up and at 'em. The advantages of motherhood, supposedly. Hiccup followed suit, wobbly hopping along on one foot due to the absence of his prosthetic. Dagur must have taken it, the crafty skunk.

"Uh, a little help, anyone?" He feebly queried, clutching the length of the doorframe in order to stay upright. He couldn't suppress the prominent blush adorning his pale, freckled face, out of the embarrassment of his handicapped appendage. Snotlout made no complaint (another miracle within itself) and hooked an arm around his cousin's waist to support his stance.

"Let's go," Astrid snarled, slamming open the door and began her stomping spree down the rather large wooden hall of the ship that was alit with torches on either side, not even checking for guards. "Dagur is gonna regret taking my son."

"Oh! Just a reminder, e-everyone," Hiccup stumbled over his wording as he was shoved along by Snotlout's uneven pace. "Dagur brought us aboard for a reason and he's ob-obviously never been known for his, ah, hospitality. If we illustrate any display of aggression, it's most likely that his response will be somewhat erratically violent. That warning goes out to everyone here, _Astrid_," he punctuated her name clearly so the message would successfully send across.

"Pfft. Don't worry about me," the blonde dismissed, looking over her shoulder while she rounded a tight corner-and actually crashed into a massive Berserker soldier, bouncing backward off of his round belly. "Hey!"

The soldier hardly flinched while Hiccup gasped, Snotlout blanched, and Astrid glared, staring down the guard with her most daunting stare. "You!" She snapped, shoving a finger into his face. "I've got questions, buddy, and you're going to answer them."

The boys gaped at her in disbelief. "Wow. Labor must've done a number on her," Snotlout remarked under his breath, sadly shaking his head. "Poor girl."

The guard gazed at her for a moment before letting out a low whistle and a slight chuckle soon after. "Ye must be th' mother. Ah presume yer lookin' for ye son, em ah right?" He'd successfully hit a nerve. Astrid's fists clenched. What had they done to her baby?

"Where is he?" She admonished through her gritted teeth. "Come on, spit it out! Where's my son?! Where?! You'd better tell me or I'll run you through with my bare fi-"

"Astrid," entered Hiccup's warning tone, reminding her not to strike.

Snotlout hooted in panic-stricken disbelief. "Dude, she is _so_ dead."

The girl lingered, but her glare wavered not. The Berserker guard moved forward and gripped her by the armored shoulder with his muscular digits. "All of ye ah're comin' weth me. You're all goin' to have a lettle talk with our beloved Chief, the fearless, the barbaric-"

"Dagur the Deranged, we get it," Snotlout mumbled under his breath, earning himself an annoyed glare from the guard as he shoved Astrid forward. "Just...clues to the puzzle," he defended.

"Let's go. No time t' talk," the guard ordered. "Dagur's expecting ya and he don't like t' wait." He led them around the ship a bit, entering a few more halls before reaching a ladder leading to a large trap door. The way out.

"Ladies first," he offered in a mockingly pleasant voice, gesturing toward the ladder.

"With pleasure," Astrid sneered back, scaling the ladder without a scintilla of hesitation. Although her muscular physique served her well, her holder still screamed in protest from the movement. "Uff…Let's just get this over with."

Snotlout and Hiccup both glanced at each other and winced. This was going to be a rough day.

Astrid knew no hesitance and her competence knew no bounds, a disadvantage she possessed as soon as she flung open the trapdoor. A blast of freezing cold wind blasted her face, cogently waking up her remaining drowsy nerves. What on Berk was Dagur doing up there? She quickly ducked back into the bunker and shivered.

"W-What the Frigg?!" She chattered, earning a worried gaze from her husband. "The storm's hitting us head on! You can't expect me to go to the deck and have a tea party with your lunatic ch-"

The guard ignored Astrid and gripped her boots, which were still on the ladder rings, and boosted her back through the opening in the deck. Hiccup recoiled as a thud emitted along with Astrid's shriek of pain, and he snapped at the offending guard, "What's wrong with you?! Can't you see she's in enough pain already?"

The Berserker shrugged and cracked his dry knuckles. "Not me problem, laddie. Now who's next?" Snotlout averted his eyes and the guard kept his gaze upon the auburn-haired boy. "'Ow 'bout ye? Yer a feisty one. Least that's what Dagur informed us."

"Ah yes, my non-existent muscles know no bounds," Hiccup quipped with a roll of his eyes. "Trust me. It's a _verbal_ type of feisty."

The guard just snickered. "Ah can tell," he agreed, scooping the boy up by his underarms and flinging him up out of the bunker. Snotlout could hear the thud of his cousin landing with a groan, and he cringed, stealing a glance at the guard who was staring at him expectantly.

Snotlout weakly smiled an innocent smile. "I'll just-" He pointed to the ladder. "I got it." And he scrambled up out into the cold, unforgiving winter.

The first sensation he received from the outside was stinging barrage of icy wind. The next was the faint burning of his ears, nose, and cheeks as his body struggled to keep warm. The next was a callused hand gripping the scruff of his neck and dragging him to his feet until he came face-to-face with the culprit himself. Dagur the Deranged. Cue the crazy.

The Berserker Chief hummed, taking no notice of the younger teenager's shocked complexion and discomfort in favor of their proximity. "Hm. Snot...hat, was it?" He mused, looking particularly disinterested as his warm breath floated away in clouds.

"L-Lout!" Snotlout corrected with a shiver, avoiding eye-contact with the mentally unstable nineteen-year-old. "S-Snotlout." Instead, he took in the clothing of the other uncouth male, shocked to find that he wasn't wearing anything particularly warm-fitting. He was simply clad in the normal attire he usually wore on a daily basis. Wasn't he the least bit cold?

"Oh. Well, whatever." Dagur shrugged with a lack of refinement, letting the boy plummet to the frosty deck with a thump. "It's not you who I'm interested in, anyway. It's that Hiccup guy. Where is he?" He asked loudly over the roaring of the wind.

"R-Right here, s-sir!" A Berserker soldier answered with a chattering shout. He had a tight grip on an enraged, struggling Astrid by her braid, and Hiccup's hair, who looked rather ill while he shivered and shook. Nothing drained his energy like being forced to stand on one leg.

A wide, toothy smile spread over the young Chief's face and he laughed jovially. "Ooh, goody. It's been a while, Brother," he remarked, strolling nonchalantly across the shivering teen's path with his hands clasped behind his back. "How's Devastating Winter treating Berk, hm? You? Well enough I imagine, what with the _chilling_ condition you were in not too long ago. Haha! See what I did there?! Of course you did. You're a smart boy, after all."

Hiccup remained quiet as his teeth chattered uncontrollably, unsure of what Dagur was planning. Although, he had a pretty strong hunch that it had something to do with Toothless. Astrid, however, held back nothing.

"L-Listen to me, you half-w-witted imbecile," she snarled over the howling wind, yanking away at the soldier's grip like a madwoman. "Enough with the games. You've got t-ten seconds to tell me what you've done with Hiccup or I swear on Snotlout's life, I will stick you like a _boar!"_

Dagur's eyes widened a bit at the threat but they fell back to their amusing stare. He began to chuckle, lowly at first before it became a hysterical cackle that lasted, well, a good ten seconds.

"Ohhh, ho-ho, is _that_ what you call the whiny little cretin? Hiccup?" He inquired with a smirk before his face grew incredibly dark. "Certainly suits him. It took my female soldiers a while to shut him up."

"W-What have you done to him?!" Hiccup whispered while Astrid blanched, and Dagur rolled his eyes. "You couldn't have! D-Dagur, he's a _baby_!"

"Oh, relax. I didn't do anything to hurt him," he assured the stricken couple. "I would never harm a defenseless _infant_." He smirked and leaned forward with a leering grin adorning his painted face. "Unless I absolutely had to, ey?"

Astrid growled and struggled at the restraining soldier. This kid knew how to push her buttons, and was succeeding, evidently. "D-D-Don't you dare touch him, y-you psychotic-"

The Berserker Chief let out a very irritated groan, throwing his head back dramatically and nearly dislodging his horned helmet. "Doesn't anyone ever tell you that your voice can get extremely annoying at some points? Headaches, girl!" He scoffed, tapping against his helmet. "Must be that time of the month for you, huh?"

Astrid's azure eyes darkened while Hiccup and Snotlout winced. "Trust me, I would've have taken that over the birth any day," she promised him, causing him to shudder.

"Ew, please not in front of me," he spat, sticking his tongue out in disgust. "We're not here to talk about the birth, or your son. Though, I do have to congratulate you on the marriage, Brother. Who knew you'd be such a lady's man?" He teased, before abruptly going serious once more.

"Haha-No. What we're going to do is discuss how you got out here in the middle of the ocean." He rushed over to Hiccup and placed himself right before the younger boy, almost nose-to-nose. "I saw the boat. But what I really want to know is where you're hiding your little pets. Namely, the dragons," he hissed.

Hiccup blinked, trying to wriggle his face away from the nineteen-year-old's. His breath smelt of cabbage. "G-Good ol' Dagur," he muttered sarcastically. "Always straight t-to the point."

Dagur's stare did not waver and the younger Viking sighed. "Listen, I-I know about your ever-lasting obsession of getting your hands on Toothless and wearing his skull as a-a helmet. It's quite the Hogmanay resolution, if I do say so myself. But y-you won't be able to find him or any of the other dragons f-for that matter."

"Oh?" Dagur's brows furrowed and he smiled, which caused Hiccup's stomach to churn uneasily. "And why would that be, _Brother_?"

"They f-fly south for the winter, just like the birds," Astrid quickly interrupted, diverting the Berserker's attention to her. "Ever wonder why they never raid us during this time of year? T-They aren't even a hundred miles in range! We were completely caught off guard by it ourselves. O-One day they were all there and the next they were gone," she supplied with a shiver. "They could be at the shores of Rome by now, for all we know."

Her quick-witted cover impressed Hiccup up. It was a pretty convincing story to say the least, and Dagur seemed to buy it for the time being. But he wasn't finished just yet. "Then what were you doing out there all alone?" His attention was all on Astrid now, and he expected an answer.

"Well, y-you see-"

Out of the blue, Snotlout pretended to groan, attracting the unwanted attention of the deranged teenager. "F-Fishing trip g-gone wrong," he provided, earning a grateful glance from his cousin. "We weren't supposed to drift out so far, but the current was too strong, and Hiccup's got th-these little arms..." He wriggled his own arms for emphasis, causing the Hooligan heir to roll his eyes. "...O-One thing led to another and the boat tipped. And th-then that's when you found us. Th-The end!" He finished with a melodramatic flourish.

There was a primitive silence. Hiccup and Astrid glanced nervously at each other as Dagur rubbed his chin, looking quite thoughtful. There was certainly a significant amount of holes in that story. Dagur noticed this, and gave Hiccup a long, calculating look. "You were the one rowing?" He asked, and then wrinkled his nose. "Why would _you_ be the one-? Wait. What genius decided to bring the kid along? Man, and I thought _I_ was deranged!" He affirmed dramatically. "Well, I am, but-"

"You are," Hiccup assured him politely, and sighed tiredly. "It's just...a _really_ long story. I'd hate to bore you."

"It'd t-take like six books t-to write," Astrid added with a humorless shiver, sneaking a smile at her partner.

Dagur shrugged, looking rather downcast about their stories and the dragons' absence. But then he grinned eerily. "I've got time," he replied. "Why don't you all hunker down in the women's quarters, and we'll chat a little later when you're feeling warmed up?"

Snotlout perked up a bit. "Women's quarters?" He repeated, arching an eyebrow with interest.

"Oh-ho, yes," Dagur replied with a smirk, his back to them as he approached the icy rail to lean against it. "Think of it as a, ah, _nursery" _he decided_,_ "for your son. My female soldiers have been taking care of him, don't you worry."

"Oh...I wouldn't normally say this to you, but t-thank you," Hiccup thanked the Chief with uncertainty as the guard released him and Astrid. "I'm surprised you haven't-"

"-Used your kid against you for the sake of information?" Dagur grinned sadistically. "Believe me, I adore the Blood Eagle as much as the next Viking, but I tend to cool it down around the holidays. Heh. _Literally_." And he let out an obscenely loud cackle following suit of his remark before his face fell back to calm. "Alright. Get out, you three," he dismissed. "I have unfinished business to take care of."

Hiccup and Astrid glanced at each other and then at Snotlout, who looked just as, if not more, flustered. It was quite a sight to see the Berserker Chief look so serene and calm while his soldiers were shouting, shivering, and screaming orders at each other in the midst of Icelandic chaos. "O-...Kay then," Hiccup muttered slowly, turning his back on the deranged teenager to head for the trapdoor in the deck. Once they were all back inside the ship and shrouded in darkness, everyone shuddered.

"T-That went lot better than I thought it would," Astrid admitted while she furiously rubbed at her arms to get the tingly feeling back in her limbs. "W-We should hurry to the "women's quarters". Agreed?"

"Agreed," Hiccup complied, putting a trembling hand on her armored shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll find him. T-Then we have t-to find a way out of here and somehow get back to Berk. Okay, Snotlout? Snotlout? Snotlout?" He turned to find within the dim torchlight that his cousin was still furiously rubbing at the seat of his pants.

"Sorry. Cold," the burly boy apologized, itching frantically while the other two grimaced. "I gotta get the feeling back-"

"Come on," Astrid interrupted impatiently, stealing a grab at the boy's horn and dragging down the hall, her other arm supporting Hiccup as he hopped along as best he could.

It didn't take long for them to find the room they were seeking, upon observing the metallic sign above the door labeled, _Konur Herbergi._

It was at the very end of the long hallway they had been traveling down, past the room they had woken up in. "Women's Quarters," Hiccup read, while Astrid moved to barge her way in. "Hm. For once, Dagur was being specifically-"

"YAHHH!" The blonde screeched, literally kicking down the door so that they could enter. There was a collective gasp from within the room, and a soft whine, followed by comforting soothes.

"Whoa, Astrid," Snotlout grinned. "Still feisty, even after all this. I like it." The other two teenagers paid no attention to him and instead gazed into the rosy glow of a room that was lit by candles. It was a room of several females ranging from the ages of seventeen to thirty, all Berserkers, all in their armor, and all staring upon the three intruders in shock.

"Hiccup?" Astrid whispered, an expression of relief alighting her once angry, dark features. She quickly stole into the room, Hiccup and Snotlout following close behind. The women within the room relaxed a bit as they noticed Hiccup and his unfortunate situation with the leg. Astrid scanned the room, taking note of the furs covering the floor and the absence of furniture. "W-Where's my son?"

One of the women, a young girl about the age of seventeen, was siting cross-legged on the floor, cradling a familiar bundle of fur. She smiled at the young mother and answered, "He's present, Lady Astrid." Her voice was soft, as if quiet to not awaken the infant in her muscular arms. "Dagur insisted we take care of him for you while you were in you're past condition."

Astrid placed a hand over her heart and gasped out in relief, gliding over to the young woman on the floor, who handed her the child without hesitation. He was cocooned in some sort of papoose that they'd seen mothers of the village use with their own children. The woman nodded in satisfaction as the young mother cradled her child and she turned to her counterparts to say, "We'll vacate the premises if you wish."

"Please, thank you," Hiccup smiled weakly, stumbling over to his wife and son while Snotlout pouted as the women left the room and softly shut the door.

"Aw, I was looking forward to enjoying their company," Snotlout complained, plopping down to the floor, cross-armed. Despite his annoyance, he couldn't help but let his wavering gaze wander to the little family that had taken refuge in the little pile of furs in the center of the room. The change in Astrid was prominent as irregular. She was practically glowing now that she had her child safe in her arms, a competently changed girl, once a raving nightmare softened to a loving guardian.

"I'm so sorry I left you," she murmured softly, gently nuzzling the infant's forehead as he slept away. Although she had spent so little time with her baby to bond, she felt an unquenchable love for the bundle of human life. Hiccup happily yet tiredly leaned against Astrid, gently resting his cheek against the crook of her neck, his shaking fingers gently sifting through the baby's auburn locks.

"I missed you, bud," he murmured. "We aren't gonna leave you again."

Snotlout watched in curiosity. He hadn't the time to actually meet his cousin's baby yet, having been far too preoccupied with the rescue and the fact that the Berserkers had captured them. It was interesting to see the children he'd grown up with adopt this new lifestyle and maternal image. An endearing smile began to tug at his lips and his eyes fell half-lidded.

"_Well, just look at that. Something good came outta yer little mistake, ey?" _The voice commented, snickering a bit as Snotlout's expression grew goofily soft. He gave a slight smile and shrugged. What he did certainly wasn't angelic, but observing at the person his cousin and ex-crush had created and loved, no doubt, made him feel peculiarly warm. He knew at that moment that he would never regret the child.

"_Gonna apologize yet, ya limpet? Or are you just gonna keep making goo-goo eyes?"_

"Seriously?" Snotlout whispered in annoyance, rolling his chocolate eyes. "Now? For the Gods' sake, let me watch them have their moment in peace!"

The boy's expertise caught the attention of the female Viking and she glanced at him, causing him to freeze. "What was that, Snotlout?" Astrid asked, smirking a bit at the now flustered Viking as he realized his mistake.

"Oh-OH! It's nothing, it's nothing," he dismissed with a offhand wave. "Just talking to myself. Really. What were you saying again? How you won't ever leave your kid? Yeah..." He trailed off into the awkward depths of silence. "It's so...squishy lookin'," he commented after a bit, cocking his head in curiosity and slight caution.

Astrid huffed and choked back a laugh at the absurdity yet innocent curiosity of his statement. "Can't you just say he's a beautiful baby like any other normal person?"

"I could, I could. But where's the fun in that?" Snotlout asked, earnestly. "I mean, I could make comments about how titchy-small the little guy is, but-" Astrid stared impassively. "Fine," he grumbled. "Even though the runtiness is technically Mister Fishbone's fault over here. Runs in the family, right _Hiccup_?"

All eyes swiveled to the heir of Berk, who since the conversation started had been absently observing his son, now seemed a bit more vague than usual. "Mm-hmm," he murmured distantly, closing his emerald eyes as his hand fell away from the spot on the baby's head. Was it just him or did the room feel hotter? And...ooh...spinning. Everything was spinning. Man the hoses, he was spinning. "Genetics...are mean to me."

Astrid gaped and took in his rapidly deflating state. "Are-Are you alright?" She asked in concern as her husband wrapped his arms around his waist and shivered. She removed one hand out from under her child and placed it against his perspiring forehead. Well, he wasn't burning, but even so; he was perceptibly unwell.

"Snotlout, he doesn't look good," Astrid reported solemnly, though her mind was overflowing with unease. She had to remain tranquil. "Well, I guess that's what happens when you fall into a freezing ocean. Here, just lay back," she ordered, gently easing the boy onto his back so that he was resting against the furs. "That's it. Easy does it." And to Snotlout, she swallowed and said, "We have to get him back to Berk. Soon."

Snotlout blinked and then sneered in disbelief. "Yyyyeah. Uh... And how do you expect us to get there, exactly?" He asked, wondering if they were actually going to consider iceberg hopping. "In case you haven't noticed: Hiccup's leg is gone, you can't walk without collapsing, and we have a baby with us, for Goddesses's sake!" He listed these disadvantages off of his fingers.

Something in Astrid's chest clenched. As much as she hated to admit it, he did have a point. Three very good points, and that thoroughly bothered her to no end. "True... Which is why you've got to be the one to get us back!" Astrid declared.

Her proposal-nay, demand, gave him a start. "What?!" Snotlout shouted, trying to keep his balance as the room tilted. The swaying of the ship only added to the commotion. The dark rumbling of thunder crashed in the distance. The storm was getting worse. "Me?! I can't get you-How in Odin's name am I supposed to get you back to Berk?!"

"I don't know!" The female Viking cried, her platinum brows furrowing in hysterical frustration. "But we need to figure out something! We can't stay here with Dagur! Like you said earlier, he'll turn our skulls to...to-to-"

"Helmets?"

"Yes!"

"You're the one who wanted to get on Dagur's ship in the first place!" Snotlout pointed out. "And now you want me to get you home?! What the actual heck?!"

"It was a mistake, alright?! But we have to think about the future right now, and dwelling on my admittedly bad mistake isn't going to solve anything. We have to get a healer for three of us, and guess what? I don't trust Dagur one bit," Astrid shot back. "I don't know how we're going to do it, but...but we have to try."

Oh, this was perfectly ridiculous. Going after them earlier had been easier for Snotlout since the storm hadn't reached its peak. Now that the climax had arrived, what did she honestly expect of him? Snotlout was about to retort that she was probably going deranged as Dagur at that point, but Hiccup weakly cut in before he could. "S-Spare...boats."

Astrid whipped her head around, her long braid nearly catching Snotlout in the eye. He had spoken so softly that she had barely grasped it. "Could you repeat?"

Hiccup didn't open his eyes again, but he hoarsely repeated, "T-There're spare boats o-on the side of the...ship. To use in c...case the ship sinks...you know?" Spare boats? Astrid and Snotlout looked up at the same time and caught each other's stares.

Valhalla help them if they were seriously going to go through with the same crazy idea.

...

Up on deck, Dagur was immensely enjoying the abundant chaos that was overtaking his ship. And why not? Discord was a vocation, and what Viking didn't enjoy the savage seas every once in awhile? It's what they were born to do! But of course, all adrenaline rushes must come to an end at some point. Preferably, by bad news.

"Sir!" An older soldier of great height speedily approached the Chief, understanding with dismay that the news would probably activate Dagur's bipolar tendencies. "News, from th' Portside, a-and it's urgent!"

"Oh, comrade," Dagur chuckled, swinging from the edge of the rail to stand before the soldier. "How urgent could it be at a time like this?" Whilst he said this, lightning flashed in the distance, creating a terrifying silhouette.

"Urgent e-enough, uh, sir." The man scratched the space beneath his helmet with his fingers. "Th' fugitives ah're takin' our spare rowboats!"

_That_ snapped Dagur out of his psychotic frenzy quicker than a mace blown to the head. "What?!" He yelled, causing the offending reporter before him to flinch. "What do mean they're taking our spares?! Didn't I order someone to keep an eye on them?!"

The reporter opened his mouth to answer but another call distracted Dagur. "Th' prisoners ah're gettin' away, Chief!" One of the men called from the distant side of the ship.

"Well shoot them d-! UGH! Hiccup!" Dagur snarled and sprinted over to the guardrail just in time to see a very flustered Astrid, Hiccup, and Snotlout all sitting in one of his very own dihingies. Snotlout had both oars in his thick hands and was frantically rowing through the uncontrollable waters, despite the free-for-all on board.

Dagur was shocked to his very core. Of all the plans ever conjured and ever executed, this was too crazy even for him. How did they manage to sneak past the guards with Hiccup's missing leg? How could they just leave in the middle of a storm during Devastating Winter?! ...Though, that _was_ exactly what he was doing-but that was beside the point! Better yet, what to do in such a situation? Should he order his soldiers to shoot the darts? Spear the boat and reel it back in? In the heat of the moment, he did neither. All he could do was gape.

"W-What?!" He gasped. "What are you _doing_?!"

Snotlout somehow overheard his call over the rumbling of thunder in addition to the crashing of waves and looked up at the Berserker, answering candidly just for the sake of it.

"_JUST HAVING A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN!"_ He screamed, his face white with terror and adrenaline as he rowed further into the storm. Within seconds, the group of Berkians had easily disappeared into the mist and rain, leaving a very disgruntled crew, disheartened, and fearful of their Chief's reaction.

Dagur blankly stared after them for a moment before his face fell darker than Helheim itself. He growled uncontrollably, his prey having once again escaped his clutches. "I cannot believe they got away _again_!" He shrieked, his jaw tight and strained. "After them!" He ordered with a shout, to which the crew looked at each other with worry, and then at the icebergs.

"S-Sir, Ah'm afraid we can't go after them," one of the poor souls primed with a small waver to his hoarse voice. "Th' storm will only worsen and we have the disadvantage in numbers! Ah advise we anchor here fer th' time being!"

"Nobody asked you!" Dagur screeched, taking hold of the whimpering soldier by the scruff of the neck and tossing him into the freezing ocean without a second thought.

He watched the soldier plummet into the waves that effectively cut off the scream before his own face returned nonchalant. "But you _do _have a point," he casually admitted before turning back to his crew. "We anchor tonight, men!" He commanded, causing the multitude of sailors to grin and inwardly sigh with relief. "But first, sail to the eye of the storm. We will then return home first thing in the morning and conquer the Hooligans another day!"

He didn't question whether or not Hiccup and his little clan would survive the night, but he did turn out to sea with a deviant little grin and snicker, "Nighty-nighty, Hiccup. Hope you sink and you're little family lose your way in the waves. And one day, your little Night Fury will be all mine."

"S-Sir! Igor's unconscious!" The smile dropped from Dagur's face and he huffed. Way to kill the moment.

Submersion. Drowning. Death of cold.

Those fatalities may very well have been the case for the small, runaway crew. The young teenagers were doing all that they possibly could to struggle for their survival as Mother Nature pummeled them obstinately. Raindrops incessantly splattered upon the already soaked deck of their small rowboat while the waves pitilessly tossed them to and fro, making it extremely difficult to stay upright at all.

Hiccup the Fourth had officially awakened and was sobbing, eyes squeezed shut, his little form shivering in the cold despite his father's bear-fur vest. The immense, endless thunderclaps and howling winds dwarfed his baby squeals by thousands.

Astrid clutched him tightly to her chest, understanding with a heavy heart that there was little she could do to soothe the poor baby's anxieties, as well as shake the idea out of her mind that it might be the last night she would ever experience with her family. What a feeling. Her husband lay shivering under the seat from which she sat, his fears leaving him stricken to the core as the night raged on. He couldn't think straight. He couldn't see straight. He couldn't hear. The sounds were all melding together into a loud, low drone that deafened his ears. They needed to make it home.

To Snotlout's credit, he rowed with all his might, never stopping once. Even when the calluses of his hands tore open and bled, he never complained once. Or...maybe he did, but the thunder was drowning him out.

"Geez, Thor! Give it a rest, already!" He protested after a deafening "boom" shook the world, causing his heart to pound. Habitually, he wouldn't be afraid of such things, mostly because the Vikings were in Thor's good graces. It also helped that he usually had a blanket and a cup of yak milk on standby. But out here, anything was possible, and there were no stand-in mugs this time. "We even built you a statue that one time," he muttered with a pout. Another thunderclap trailed his complaint.

Astrid tried to lend a hand, or rather a voice, by acting as Snotlout's lookout since there was little she could do anyway. "Iceberg, dead ahead!" She would holler, and Snotlout would oblige her warning, pushing off and away the ice blocks with his feet and occasionally, one of the oars. It was arduous, tireless work, but he pressed forward as the night wore on. The last thing he wanted was to become a relic of Atlantis.

*BOOM*

"H-Hey Snotlout!" Astrid shouted after a few hours of being soaked to the bone by the rainwater. "W-We're going to sail t-to the end of the world s-s-sometime; don't you know w-where you're going!?"

"Well," Snotlout shouted back, "I would use the stars to navigate my way through this Helheim hole, but as you can see: there are WAY too many clouds!"

"How in the name of Æir did you find us then?!" She screamed, everlasting dread poisoning her mind.

"Oh that was easy!" He yelled. "Meatlug apparently ate too much quartz and left a trail of evidence! I just followed that!" Astrid kept silent after that, other than to comfort her confused and terrified baby.

After a long while of waiting, rowing, and yes, shivering, a scattered lightning bolt in the distance electrified the night sky with a brilliant white, silhouetting against the clouds...and a large mass out over the horizon.

Wait, what?!

Astrid blinked rainwater and saltwater out of her eyes as best as she could and shielded them with a hand. Had she been hallucinating? Surely that mass had been an illusion of the mind, or even the clouds? Her uncertain qualms were put to rest, for Snotlout mentioned it as well.

"I-Is that *inhale* what I *inhale* think it is?!" He gasped with a heave as he continued to row, peering over his shoulder. Hiccup the Fourth squealed as another thunderclap shook the area.

Another lightning bolt flashed across the sky, once again lighting the area in the distance. And then another. And another! Astrid's azure eyes grew wide, and she could have cheered to Valhalla if not for the state and environment she was in. "It is! _It is_, Snotlout! We're gonna make it!"

Dagur had been closer to Berk than she had predicted. "We're going to make it! Come on, Odin! _Take us back to Berk!"_

"You-You guys see l-land?!" Hiccup stuttered quietly, hope flickering in his lidded emerald irises, to which Astrid grinned elatedly in reply.

"Valhalla, YEAH we do!" She cheered with euphoria, pumping a fist in the air in celebration. Thor graciously provided the girl her chorus, booming loudly to back up her cries. "Yeah! _Land ho!"_

Snotlout was grinning. The thought of successfully completing his mission, the thought of his family safe at home, encouraged him like nothing had ever had before, and he rowed with all his might. His arms burned, his jaw tightened, his muscles cramped from all the physical exertion, yet nothing stopped him. Nothing could stop him now.

"_That's it!" _The voice shouted. It was the only thing he could hear over all the thunder and crashing waves against ice. "_You've got this in the satchel, you son of Spitelout! Now row! Row! Row!"_

Snotlout gasped for air, throwing back his head to adjust his helmet before preceding forward. "I got this," he heaved, straining with all his might. He gritted his teeth and regrouped the oars as they slipped from his grasp. "I got this! I got this!" He repeated. "Yeah! C'mon, Mother Nature! Take me back to Berk! Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi, oi-!"

A huge wave splashed against his face, almost indignantly. "...Oi."

...

Things were not much enhanced for even the sturdiest of Vikings back on Berk. The wind had become too resilient for even the houses to safely withstand, so Stoick ordered everyone to barricade himself or herself together in the Great Hall. In addition, everyone was to gather as much supplies as they could and stow it all away within said hall.

Stoick was no doubt a devastated man. Not only did he have no idea where the long-lost teenagers were, but there also was literally nothing he could do about it. Most of his family had been swiped away in a matter of days. What had he done for the Gods to destine him such a horrendous fate? First his wife, then son, daughter-in-law, grandchild, and nephew. How could he lead while a village in such a world of hurt?

"Oh Gobber," he sighed heavily as his best friend packed up his tools to take to the Great Hall. They were the first to start packing as the rest of the villagers scuttled about, heaving boxes and chests of who-knows-what. "This holiday has been a _complete_ disaster."

Gobber gazed sympathetically at the Chief. He couldn't have imagined the sheer amount of sadness he was experiencing, and how Stoick managed to hold onto an iron fist of leadership to keep his tribe together, creditable to his name. It was surely a devastating winter, to say the least. But despite all the cruel and the cold, he still attempted at lightening the mood. "Ech, et's...et's not _so_ bad." He consoled with a shrug, trying his best to speak with tact and sensitivity as he swung a leather bag of parchments and tools over his shoulders.

"Not so bad? Not so bad?!" Stoick repeated, a hint of irritation layering his gruff bark. He stalked out of the Smithy with Gobber in tow as he continued to rant. "This is as bad as it can get, Gobber!" He ranted, shoving past a crowd that seemed to have stilled despite the howling wind.

"The town is completely iced over," he continued, "mah beard is frozen solid, the dragons have up and left us, my son, daughter-in-law, grandchild, _and_ nephew are probably dead as far as I know, so I could use a bit of diplomacy now and-_What_ are these people _looking_ at?!"

He and Gobber followed the transfixed gazes of the onlookers upfront and stared out into the opaque ocean of misery. At first, he saw nothing out of the ordinary-as far as storms went-but then he too caught sight of the tiny little dot that everyone seemed to be so mesmerized by. It was headed straight for the docks and was swerving crazily. Whoever was rowing had to be an amateur, but he admired the brute stre- Wait.

"Who is that?" He asked to nobody in particular, shifting closer to the edge of the cliff. That person-no-people, looked slightly familiar...if not..._very_ familiar. His forest-green eyes widened in realization and he gasped. Could it be? "Snotlout!"

The villagers around his gasped through their constant shivering and stared at each other in disbelief. Spitelout in particular as he shoved past the crowd to get a better look at the approaching dihingy. A small but ecstatic grin engulfed his face as he recognized his son as the boy in the boat, rowing like his life depended on it. Because it did.

"Ha!" He shook a fist and cheered, for what father wouldn't if his lost son had returned? "That's mah boy! Takin' on Æir like the man he- Wait...Do me eyes deceive me!? No! There's Astrid; she's alright!"

"Astrid?!" This time, it was Egil and his wife, Helga who rushed forward to observe and confirm what Spitelout had seen. They too had been preparing themselves for the relocation at the Mead Hall, quite solemnly, I might add.

"Oh, A-Astrid," Egil stuttered, clutching his tunic collar with both hands. He was overjoyed, like the two other fathers who'd lost their children as well. His little girl had returned! Helga covered her mouth with both hands and sucked in a breath as hot, irrepressible tears burned her eyes. The few short days when Astrid was missing were undoubtedly the worst days of her life. Any mother would grieve. Albeit she was outwardly stalwart around the villagers, she was truly worried sick about her only child. The only comforter in her life was Egil, the man she could trust to express her sadness to.

"Mah girl..." She whispered, clutching her husband by the shoulders in relief. "Ah," she smiled and shook her head in amusement. "And there's th' Haddock boy." To herself, she quietly added, "Ah knew he could do et."

Stoick just smiled like he never had before, and it lit up his face like Arvindal's Fire. After a quick adjustment to his horned helmet, the Chief galloped over to the stretched deck alongside the cliff that lead down to the harbor. "Henceforth Spitelout! Hoffersons!" He called to the ecstatic parents. "We'll meet the young ones at the docks. As for the rest of you," he shouted back at the remained crowd as he scrambled down the deck, "get to the Hall and ready the healer!"

"Right, Chief!" A random bystander shouted back, and rushed away to find Gothi, who was the best for the job.

...

Snotlout was panting from exhaustion by the time he reached the docks and to the awaiting familiar faces. Nobody hesitated. Egil kneeled down and took hold of the stern to steady it. His gaze met his daughter's, and she weakly grinned at him in reassurance.

All of his energy abandoning him, Snotlout threw down the oars with a groan and nearly collapsed. His adrenaline rush was long-gone, leaving him a tired, sopping and sweaty mess as Spitelout hauled him out of the rowboat by his arms. "Oof... H-Hey Dad," he greeted wearily, a tiny smile adorning his sweaty face. "Sorry about the whole curfew...lateness thing. Whooh... I can't feel my arms."

Spitelout smiled and Snotlout a rough slap on the back, which was his equivalence to a really big hug. "Welcome back, 'Lout," his father proudly replied, allowing his son to lean against him as they trudged back toward the cliff. "C'mon. Easy does et."

Snotlout paused for a moment though, to look back over his shoulder as Helga gently assisted Astrid from her spot on the boat, and Stoick carefully lifted his own son who'd passed out at that point from shock.

"C'mon, lad," Spitelout ordered, gently easing the boy away from the other Vikings. "Everyone es gathering at th' Great Hall. Weth this lousy storm overtakin' the village, et's th' safest place ta take."

"But... What about Hiccup a-...and Astrid?" Snotlout tried, glancing worriedly at his friends. "They're both hurt!"

"And they will be healed," Spitelout assured his son, giving him a shake of comfort. "Ah're ye injured? Scaling th' millennium of misery herself must've been strainer, ey?"

"Well, no," Snotlout admitted as they began the long walk up the ridge. "I'm just really, really, really, really exhausted. I'm gonna take the longest nap ever..."

"Good," his father firmly nodded, his tone growing serious and. "Then ye can tell me all about yer little adventures." As an afterthought, he added, "And secondly, _why_ ye decided to set sail wethout informing me first."

Snotlout inwardly and outwardly froze, letting out quite a sheepish grin. "I...never told you I'd be leaving?"

...

The Great Hall was completely packed from corner to corner, every inch of the place occupied by a Viking or barn animal they had brought in for the sake of it. Sven the Silent's herd of sheep caused little disturbance however, and only to the ones' nearest. If anything, they made quite the fluffy headrest.

Families of great numbers adopted corners for their children and spread soft furs upon the floor for sleeping arrangements. Those lucky enough to be closest to the central fire took to the benches to rest their weary bodies, among the others who roasted their rationed dinners on spits.

The entire Great Hall was grandiose, more than it had ever been in all the years since it had been built since the decorations had been moved to keep from frosting. It was alit with festive lanterns of every kind that were held on string-like streamers that stretched to the opposite ends of the room. The lights created a soft, rosy glow that reflected off of the stone to appear cozy and warm. Like the amazing tree altar offering to Odin, Bucket and Mulch had clearly outdone themselves.

Those were the first thoughts that registered into Hiccup's mind as he was hauled into the gargantuan, temporary living space. Then it was the blurry faces of cheering, excited Vikings as they celebrated his return in merriment. It turns out, they were all very worried and sad over he and Astrid's disappearance. A good fraction of them were convinced that the girl's well-being would deplete as the sun set on the first day of her absence. Without the popular dragon riders to lighten the cloudy sky, things had become rather sullen.

"Hey... That you, Dad?" Hiccup murmured sleepily as he rested his head at the crook of his father's elbow. "I think... I think the whole village showed up in our house..."

Stoick answered not, but instead handed him over to Gothi before shooing away an abundance of Vikings who were curious about the heir's condition. And even more so for the little newborn that Astrid had carried in her arms. A special corner near the back of the Great Hall had been specially cleared for the returning injured, namely Hiccup, Astrid and their son.

Thankfully, Gothi reported no fatal or long lasting injuries after a thorough inspection, to Stoick's great relief. Astrid's diagnosis was the simple "she needs rest" and Hiccup was simply cold, so they stripped him of his soaking wet tunic and leggings to replace them with...dryer choices. Soon he was clad in a much dryer navy blue tunic and dark leggings. His vest was graciously returned, to which he immediately put back on after a thorough scrubbing. After that, they were ordered to rest their exhausted bodies, in hopes that over time, health would make a rebound.

And if worked! Things especially got a lot better after proper medical attention, food, and water provided by the villagers. Albeit there was the matter of Hiccup's leg...

"Lost et, didja lad?" Gobber sighed, tapping the stump of Hiccup's leg with his hook hand. They were at the assigned corner with Gobber and the rest of the crew (namely Stoick and Gothi) taking refuge on the nearest wooden bench. Astrid lay back against the walls, sitting quite comfortably on top of the furs. Her golden braid, which had come undone on the journey back, had been re-braided and combed until it shone like the sun. She looked beautiful, even for a girl who'd been tossed around and given birth surrounded by reptiles. The auburn-haired male gave a noncommittal shrug and leaned his head back against the furs, exhausted.

"At this point, I'm just happy I didn't lose my other leg," he moaned. "I don't want to walk or eat or _do_ anything ever again... And my face hurts from doing _this_ all day." He pointed to his pale face and imitated an expression of true horror.

"Pfft. Drama Chief," Astrid teased.

"Aw, don't ye worry. Ol' Gobber es goin' to forge you a new one, free of charge if ye like," the man offered with a genuine smile on his face. "Consider et a Snoggletog gift, from me t' you."

Hiccup smiled. "Thanks, Gobber. Couldn't ask for anything better." This was a direct tease to Astrid as he scooted over to put his arm around her temporarily unarmored shoulders.

"Yep," Astrid agreed with a slight roll of her eyes. "Nothing better. Oh, except for our escape, survival-"

"You," he cut in with a goofy little smile, gently poking her nose with a forefinger.

Astrid wrinkled her nose and pondered over his statement for a moment. "Yeah, sure. Sure." She shrugged, and grinned when he faltered just the slightest. That's when she leaned in close, for just a fraction of a second, and whispered in his ear, "Welcome to fatherhood, you dork."

Hiccup's usually pale complexion grew incredibly pink at _that_ remark and Gobber let out a small chuckle of understanding. Stoick smiled proudly and shouted with glee, "Ah'm a grandfather! How about that, everyone?!" His words brought a bashful smile to both Hiccup and Astrid's faces, he in particular as the fuzzy feeling in his heart grew warmer. The Vikings that were closest in range made sure to give their hearty congratulations to the Chief and his family with pats on the back and cheery laughter.

After confirming that neither Astrid nor Hiccup would meet their untimely demise... Well, with all Viking lore comes festivals of the brave. Everyone merrily celebrated of the return of the missing dragon riders, and the young man who had instigated that rescue, which was Snotlout. He graciously accepted the praise and recited (bragged) his part in the rescue.

Even Helga, who approached her daughter and son-in-law, beamed with newfound endearment. Upon said approach, she attempted to maintain a stalwart air for the sake of her dignity, but she broke down incredibly fast as soon as she saw her daughter lying beautifully in the soft furs, and the tiny bundle in her arms. "Oh... A-Astrid!" She choked out with a hush, clamping a hand over her mouth as she neared. "Mah girl!"

"Hey, Mom." The girl smiled kindly as her mother kneeled down to give her a gentle hug. Hiccup watched the two females embrace with a smile. It was great to see that even after the hostile barrier had been erected between the two, they could still envelop. "Good to see you again."

Helga had no words; she just beamed a tearful beam and stroked her daughter's hair. "Heh. You're a grandmother now," Astrid informed her with relish, pulling away to meet the older Viking's bloodshot gaze.

"Am Ah now?" Helga sniffed, wiping away whatever was leaking from her eyes. The spectacle amused Astrid, and she refrained from pointing it out. "Never mind th' waterworks. Ah'm just sweating out of mah eyes," the woman excused. "May Ah see him?"

"Sure you can!" Hiccup interjected, meeting his own father's excited gaze. "And Dad, I'm sure you'd like to hold your grandson too?" Before Stoick could answer, the other teenagers arrived, pushing and shoving their way past the crowd of people to gather.

"Hiccup! Astrid! Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!" Fishlegs was the first to greet them, nearly crushing Hiccup in a great Gronkle-hug, earning a laugh from Astrid. Helga leapt back to avoid being crushed by the hefty teenager, who was oblivious to the hazardous proximity. "You're back! You're back! You're actually back! Oh, this is the best holiday ever! Ooooooh!" He squealed excitedly, twisting from side to side while Hiccup choked and gasped for air, his arms helplessly pinned to his side.

"Hold on!" Tuffnut cackled, rearing up to take the leap. "I wanna "boar pile" too!" And with that, he thrust himself at the two other males and joined the hug from the back, effectively squeezing Hiccup in between he and Fishlegs. "Thank Thor you guys decided to come back," the blonde sighed with relief, unaware that his helmet horns were jabbing sharply into Hiccup's shoulder blade.

The auburn-haired male gasped out, straining for air. "Ow!" Everyone else looked on in amusement. "T-Thanks, Tuff!"

"No problem," the boy replied with a smug smile, graciously detaching himself from the hug. "It was getting so lame and boring around here without the dragons and junk. And when you're stuck with someone who smells like Ruffnut, you'll know what I mean," he added, jabbing a thumb at his twin sister. She merely rolled her eyes, too intrigued by the new member of the crew to take true offense.

"I know, right?! Wow, I can't believe you guys made it back alive!" Fishlegs enthused with a huge sigh of relief. "How did you ever...? Wait. Hold the launcher!" He stared wide-eyed at the bundle in Astrid's arms. "Is...Is that who I think it is?" He giggled erratically before letting go of his friend, who fortunately hadn't suffocated during the over-enthusiastic greeting.

"This must be the new member of the Haddock family!" The stocky Viking cooed, approaching a proud Astrid, who grinned happily as he fawned over the child in her arms. "Ooh! C'mon, gimme a better look!" Everyone else murmured in excitement and peered close as Astrid carefully shifted a bit of the blanket aside to reveal her son's face. As soon as it _was_ revealed, the little boy whined in discomfort, squeezing his eyes shut and waving his little arms in an attempt to shield them from the light.

"Awww..." Both Ruffnut and Tuffnut sighed, while Fishlegs bunched up his arms and nearly squealed. "OMT, so cute, so cute!" Ruffnut complimented. "Lucky you, Astrid. I kinda want one of those!" Astrid and Hiccup both shot each other a look of amusement, unsure of how to respond to that. But before either of them really had the chance, there was a small batch of tension within the group.

"'E's a rather titchy one, doncha think?" Someone quietly remarked, and boggled eyes grew narrow with concern as they observed the baby. Upon hearing that comment, Astrid's lips pressed together in a firm line and Hiccup merely gazed at his son. While what the villager said was true-Hiccup WAS a small infant-a pang of worry struck his heart. How could he have forgotten? Fishlegs was all-too clear those many months ago:

_"Um, hello?" Fishlegs asked in a panicked voice, troubled that no one seemed to care, "Devastating winter?" He hinted. "A few months? Your kid might be born on Snoggletog? Which, by the way, is in the coldest and stormiest month of the year? That time of year when most babies die?!"_

Not only was illness a huge issue, especially of his son's stature, he still had to worry about the frigidness of the season to maintain the health of his baby. "_Oh, Hiccup,_" he thought sadly, wishing with all his heart that his son had been born to suit more of Astrid's physique. That he had been built a little hardier. Then he would have more of a chance to beat the winter.

Stoick was one of the few that noticed Hiccup sitting quite glumly while he observed his son and quietly confronted him about it. "Ah're you alright, son?" He whispered softly, as to not let the others drop no eaves. "You look disappointed, if I'm not mistaken."

Hiccup shrugged and avoided his gaze. "I don't know," he answered truthfully, uneasily fiddling with his fingers. "I mean, I love him the way he is, but..." He trailed off and blushed with shame. Honestly, this was silly. How could he have such expectations for his own child to be the normal size, when it wasn't even his fault? "I want him to live, Dad. That's all." His voice cracked a bit at the end and he swallowed. "I don't want him to waste away because he's too small..."

Stoick sighed and nodded in understanding. "Aye," he murmured, gazing at the tiny newborn along with his son. "Ah felt the same way about you when you were born. You were so small and frail; your mother was afraid you would not make it."

Hiccup blinked thoughtfully and turned his head to face his father, who smiled warmly. "But Ah believed you would live, that you'd surpass the winter. And you did it. I thought it was crazy, but you did it. Don't lose hope in your boy because he may be the runt of the litter. They surprise you."

Hiccup grinned at that and turned back to the crowd. "I suppose they do, don't they?" Stoick chuckled as the heftier of the teens crouched down to Astrid's level, careful to avoid stepping on her legs, which were blanketed by the furs.

"Oooh, hiiii!" Fishlegs cooed once he had gotten into a more comfortable position, gently taking the baby's tiny hand in his own. The infant squirmed around a bit before wrapping his little fingers around Fishlegs's rather large one, tightly. "Oh, hello, hello, hello, it's Uncle Fishlegs. Yes it is!" He cooed in a humorous baby voice. Hiccup the Fourth stared at him with wide, innocent emerald eyes as he observed the world around him and at the endearing faces of his new family. "Oh, he's so handsome; he looks just like his daddy!"

This particular compliment drew out an amused chuckle from Stoick as Hiccup shrugged and blushed with a sense of fatherly pride, and a loud sneer from one of the Thorston twins.

"Haha, yeah. Thank _Gods_," Tuffnut snickered sarcastically before earning a deadpanned expression from the Chief, and pretty much everybody else in range. "What?" He asked in genuine confusion.

Fishlegs rolled his eyes and Ruffnut sought out the perfect opportunity to give her brother a well-earned sock on the shoulder for good measure. "Ow!" He helped in protest, shooting a glare at his smug twin whilst he held his now bruised stomach. "Hey, no fair! I didn't even get a straight answer!"

"Why don't you ask the scary man behind you?" Ruffnut teased with a chortle, placing her hands upon her hips. Tuffnut's eyes widened in realization and peered at the much taller Viking. "Uh, er-No offense Chief Stoick," he quickly amended. "Your son's handsome on the inside. Yep." He clasped his hands behind his back and added for good measure, "...So are you."

Stoick rose his eyebrows in amusement. "Uh-huh."

Hiccup slapped his forehead in irritation, Gobber nearly choked on his mead in order to hold back a guffaw, and Helga grinned. Astrid made a rather unladylike sound that was extremely like a snort. It was hard to tell, what with one of her hands covering her mouth. "M-Man, it sure is good to be back on Berk, right Hiccup?" This was said with a bit of sarcasm, but extreme sincerity as well.

"Good to be back."

It took quite a while after that for everyone to be filled in on what exactly had happened to the young teenagers and each person had different reactions. Fishlegs, of course was intrigued beyond belief about the island of dragons that had laid their eggs and asked many a question while the twins were interested in the storm they sailed through. Stoick the Vast was in deep thought by the time the story steered towards Dagur the Deranged, but he was oddly calm and quiet about it. Hiccup supposed they'd deal with that issue sometime later.

Helga was quite triumphant, as was Egil, and they both got the honor of holding their grandson. At one point, Helga had turned to Hiccup and whispered, "Ah told ya that ye could do et, boy. Now let's a better look at th' little laddie, yah?"

And from there, it was gaiety. Everyone laughed, beamed, ate rationed mutton, and distributed many stories. But even as Hiccup hooted along with his friends and family, he felt as though something-or someone, was missing. He was puzzled about this new concept until he at last noticed a lonely Snotlout hanging back from the group, chewing on a fishbone.

He smiled benevolently at his cousin and excused himself from the scene, much to the confusion of the others, and audibly approached by hopping on one foot and using the tables as balance beams. Once he was a good two feet away from his destination, he stopped and leaned against a table with his hands clasped behind his back. Both he and Snotlout were quiet for a while, and he was beginning to wonder if he should speak up.

Hiccup cleared his throat. "Hi, Snotlout."

Hiccup's voice brought the other Viking out of his thoughtful stupor. "Oh hey. Wassup?" He greeted, spitting the fishbone expertly from his lips. "What's uh, goin' on with my favorite cousin?"

The auburn-haired male smirked good-naturedly. "Yeah, right," he chuckled. "I'm your only cousin."

"Heheh. Yeah..."

"You know, technically, Hiccup's your second cousin now... No, wait. It'd be your... Nephew? No... You'd be an uncle... Whatever." He paused and then asked, "Are you up for babysitting?"

"Pfft. Right," Snotlout scoffed at the thought of looking after a baby. His cousin's baby, no less.

"C'mon, I pay the minimum wages in silver!" Hiccup urged.

"Hm. I'll think about it. Anyway, how's it feel to be a father? A _dad!_ I mean, that's huge, man. You have a kid now! That's gotta be-" he paused, and his slight smile fell as he once again recounted about the position his actions had placed Hiccup into. "Um...all the more why I need to apologize...t-to you about the um... You know..." Shifts uncomfortably from side to side. "As much as it kills me to say it: you didn't deserve what I did. So, I'm sorry."

Hiccup was thoughtful. Snotlout must have been a lot guiltier than he had assumed since he was still reminiscing in his mistake. "Snotlout?"

"I mean," he went on, "I _could_ have told you how I felt, but that's such a girly thing to do-"

"Snotlout."

"I guess I coulda put airmail to the test-"

"Snotlout!"

"I coul-"

"SNOTLOUT!"

"WHAT?!" The boy in question snapped, and then shrunk back a bit at the tone of his own voice. He was surprised to see that a look of endearment and understanding had overtaken Hiccup's freckled complexion, rather than of anger or irritation.

"I forgive you, you know."

"..."

"..."

"...I swear I didn't poison your mug this time," Snotlout fortified, holding up his arms as if to rebuild his mental bulwark.

Hiccup took a start at the absurdity of his cousin's statement. "Wh-? No! I'm not..." He flipped his hand, searching for emphasis. "...I'm not incoherent. I _meant_ what I said."

"...Oh?" Snotlout perked a bit before catching himself and falling back into his nonchalant, chill stance. "I mean, that's cool. Good for you."

He expected that to be the end of it, if he were honest. He did NOT expect, however, for Hiccup to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, causing his body to instinctually stiffen. "Listen, what you did was cunning and-and selfish, without a scintilla of doubt." Snotlout glumly stared down at the floor. "It's a big deal. I actually have to give up my childhood for this. ...I'll never regret my son, but..."

"I know," the other Viking muttered, crossing his thick arms. "If you wanna report me to Stoick so he can work out an exiling ceremony, or Astrid so she can neuter me, I get it. Please don't, but I get it. It's nothing I don't deserve, and if the tables were turned, I'd be mega-furious. 'Specially after me keepin' it for a secret for like...ever." He shuddered, recalling those many months of stress and anguish.

Hiccup smiled understandingly at the other's crestfallen face. It was very challenging to be entirely upset with the other male; particularly since he was upfront about it of the topmost sincerity. "I know it must have been really hard for you. To... To live with the guilt you've had for so long, and all because of a simple mistake: letting jealousy get in the way. You got jealous and you made a mistake. And you know, jealousy has gotten the best of all us Vikings at a time. You're not alone in that."

"...Well...I mean..."

"And trust me, I know what it's like to keep secrets, and to want to be forgiven." Snotlout's guilt-ebbed gaze drifted downward and Hiccup leaned over slightly to meet it. "But you need to stop beating down on yourself. That's not going to help you get over it."

There was a slight pause as Snotlout absorbed Hiccup's instruction.

"I appreciate that you regret your actions. I do. But what you can't do is dwell. You're never going to change the past, but you can learn from what you've done to shape yourself a better future." True. Snotlout grinned a tiny grin and looked at the floor. Hiccup leaned over to meet his gaze once again, careful not to topple over as he extended his hand and gripped his cousin's own.

"And on top of that, you really did a wonderful thing!" Hiccup reminded him. "To put your own life at risk to rescue Astrid, my son, and I... It was huge, so...thank you."

Snotlout stared for a moment before exhaling. He hadn't realized he'd been holding it in. "...Y-You're w-Oof!" Snotlout expected that to be the end of it. Being forgiven alone caused butterflies to flutter along his insides, which was why he hardly had time to register his cousin's arms wrapping around his broad neck for an unexpected hug. Snotlout reared back at the unexpected contact but hesitantly returned it, none so gracefully.

"Heh... Okay. We got a hugger!" He chortled awkwardly, his callused hands fumbling about the furry vest. The horns of his helmet were knocking into Hiccup's temple, causing the stockier male to lean forward and jut out his chin. Peering over Hiccup's lanky shoulder, he discovered that an audience-including his father and all his friends-were smirking knowingly and giggling from the corner. Curse Hiccup and his endearing touch. Well, at least there wasn't any kissing involved.

"That's, heh, thanks but-no-no touchy... Hel-LO? Hello?! Hello! Dude, people are _watching_!" The burly teen hissed in embarrassment, despite the fact that his heart was overflowing with joy and relief. Although it had been verbally stated, he still couldn't believe that his cousin had forgiven him and all was well. Hiccup smirked at Snotlout's melodrama but succumbed to his wishes and pulled away. "Odin, I'll confess my feelings, but I'm not gonna get into all that physical yak dung."

"Sure. Guess we're even then. Though, I do offer my sincerest apologies," Hiccup laughed, giving the other Viking one last pat on the shoulder. "Besides, I only have one functioning leg at the moment and you make a fine kickstand," he joked.

"Oh. Haha, very-...Wait. What about Astrid?" He blurted as she came to mind.

Hiccup blinked and raised an eyebrow. "About her?" He asked carefully, captivating his cousin's panicky expression, and how he was trying to subjugate it.

"Will she...you know...?" Snotlout crossed his arms and hummed in frustration. Why was it so difficult to say? "Will she forgive me?"

"Oh, I don't doubt it. Over time, she will. Believe me," Hiccup smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "She loves our baby." The two locked eye for a moment, enduring a new sense of respect for one another. It was new. Strange. But hey, they were practically born to changing the world. When Snotlout wronged his cousin, he sought for forgiveness in order for the relationship to be restored. And he had succeeded, in a way. It did feel amazing to say the least. It was like this annoying Terrible Terror being pulled away from his chest and shot into an oblivion. Awesome. And that was good enough for him! But not enough, apparently, to the voice.

_"Hey, before you get all peaceful and go back to your old snarky self," _the voice cut in,_ "it might be important to remember that forgiveness isn't granted because a person deserves it. It's 'cause of mercy 'n__ grace. _

"Duh! I know the definition of forgiveness, limpet," Snotlout thought exasperatedly. "Wait, didn't you say you were done with me?"

_"Irrelevant. Anyway, you're so lucky he forgave ya at all! Remember, it's easier to act our way into feeling, than to feel our way into acting."_

"...What up with the riddles?"

"_It's simple. He could've brushed you off like bad goat cheese and gone about his merry way._" There was a subtle pause to let that sink in. "_But he didn't."_

"Yeah... Point being?"

_"You have a pretty cool cousin, dude. In all seriousness, show some respect for the guy, because you gotta admit, he shows plenty for you." _

"Now." The Viking briskly dusted off his cousin's shoulders, which snapped him out of his thoughts. "I don't believe you've formally met my son yet. Care to join us?"

"The squishy ru-er... Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the _Fourth_?" Snotlout emphasized slowly with a tiny smirk on his face. "Lemme guess: you let Astrid name him."

The younger boy shrugged, innocently rocking back and forth on his heels. "What makes you say that?"

"Now this I have to see." His family was awaiting him. "Lead the way."

"_That's the way, Snotlout. That's the way."_

...

...

...

"Zzz..."

A distant snore here. A gruff cough there. A tiny whine from the newest member of the Hooligan tribe that echoed off the torchlit walls. A single couple awake in the furthest corner of the hall. The festival was long over, its participants exhausted in its wake. The wind on the premise's exterior wailed and howled and flung at the doors, but they held firm the stubbornness of their ancient constructors. The last flicker of a torchlight extinguished into a dying ember, and lit the nearest with its rosy glow.

Hiccup smiled goofily and wrapped his lanky arms around the shoulders of his partner and held her close. There was nothing more he wanted to do, honestly, than to get as close as humanely possible with the girl he shared his life with. The girl who'd been convinced she was going to die not so long ago. This was his first night with his family without the constant peril and danger, and he wanted to make the most of it. Even if they were surrounded by about four hundred sweaty bodies. And about half of those people had serious snoring issues. At some points, a random villager would get annoyed, shout angrily, and then there'd be an airborne sheep traveling through the air at said snorer.

Astrid smiled sleepily as her husband hummed softly and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "Is this a position I'll have to get used to?" She joked, whispering softly as her son drifted softly to sleep. Not that she was complaining or anything. She rather liked the way he pressed up against her and held her body within his possessive arms. It felt...nice.

"Yes," he answered without missing a beat. "But don't worry about the living space. We'll be back to our own house soon enough."

Astrid closed her eyes and smiled at the prospect of finally returning to her home. "Yeah, I can't believe I'd ever miss that bed of yours, especially since it was so small. Hm... I guess this means you have to finish that cradle you started another time."

Hiccup shrugged. "At least I have a reason to finish at all. You just have no idea how happy I am that you two made it out alive. We came so close to..." He shut his eyes and shuddered. "I don't want to leave you alone, if ah, that doesn't sound crazy or anything." In response, Astrid turned over a bit so that she could meet eye contact with the other Viking. "Does it?"

Astrid would have shrugged if she had the energy. "Hm... I don't think so. I mean, we just had a _baby_, Hiccup. And I gave birth to him on an island with nothing but you and a bunch of dragons. _That_ was crazy."

Hiccup winced at that. "Hope that didn't shake the poor guy up too badly," he sighed, moving over the girl so he could get a better look at his son. It was incredible. To know that he and Astrid had somehow gotten together and created this little miracle was astounding.

"Yeah, with that traumatic experience in his head, he'll end up acting like you too," Astrid groaned, pretending to be annoyed by how her baby might end up adopting her husband's personality along with his features. "Spare me the sassiness," she moaned dramatically, earning herself a playful glare and a light shove to her face. She giggled, because she knew that he was too afraid to cause any real damage to her. But even so, he pounced, nearly straddling her waist and adjusting himself so he wouldn't accidentally bump into his slumbering son. He wouldn't want to awaken him now and have him screaming for all of the Archipelago to hear.

Now in her face, he teased, "You're a real riot, Astrid. You know that?"

Trapped beneath his weight, (what little he had, anyway) she responded wryly and gave him a little kiss to the nose. "Thank you," she smiled devilishly. "I try. And be careful, okay? I don't want you to roll over on your son."

"I won't," he promised, grasping around with his hand until he found hers. "How is he?"

"Well enough, actually," Astrid whispered, reaching out a hand to brush the baby's fuzzy auburn locks out of his face. "Considering the circumstances, I mean." For a while, they just stayed like that, watching their baby gently breathe and sleep away, completely unaware of the impending danger of winter that would decide the fate of his own life. It was a troubling thought that such an outcome could very well be palpable for the child, and that terrified the new parents beyond belief.

"Do... Do you think we'll be okay with him?" Astrid wondered aloud, shifting her spent self a bit closer to her son. "As a mother and father, do you think we'll be good enough for him?"

"Well," Hiccup began, thoughtfully pondering over her question, "I...I ah, suppose it depends on how far we're willing to go and sacrifice for him. So I guess the question should be about how willing we are."

"And are you willing?" Astrid asked straightforwardly, turning her head to face her husband, her eyes piercingly blue in the hazy dark. Hiccup gave her hand a gentle squeeze of assurance.

"I am, without a doubt," he answered hastily. "I'm gonna try my hardest for the both of you. No matter what happens."

"Hey, c'mon," Astrid chuckled, punching lightly at his shoulder. "We're Vikings. Toughest of the tough and bravest of the brave. What could happen?" Hiccup gave her a blank look, as if to question her sanity. "It was a joke, honey. Don't be so uptight," she teased.

Hiccup rolled his eyes but chuckled along with her anyway. "Oh, har har, laugh it up," he sarcastically replied with a smile before placing a hand at the half of her head to tug her closer. "C'mere you!"

"Wait." She realized his intentions, and had no trouble with them, really. But she had something to say before they did. "I just wanted to say that I wouldn't have wanted our son with anybody else. Oh, and by the way-" she whispered the rest in his ear that left him a swooning melted dollop of butter in her arms, his insides of a fuzzy white slurry of ecstatic, yet incomprehensible emotions.

She sort of yelped as he grabbed at her, his short but sharp little fingernails clamping into her arm, as if to clutch her words physically, to hold onto them and to never let go. "Oh! Hiccup!" But then she was laughing and trying to stifle it as well so wouldn't wake the over villagers. And whatever she said to him next couldn't possibly shake the weight of her previous words, so why try?

She honestly didn't expect his reaction to be so...intense. But from Hiccup, she could expect this much from the great father he was going to be. She could feel it. After all, how much of a reaction can you expect from someone who's just been told the three big words?

He whispered them back excitedly, with additional stuttering here and there, but she didn't mind because he was her's, and he made sure to seal them with a deep, passionate kiss to the lips.

_"I love you too."_

_..._

The End

**Author's Note: ...Until the second arc, of course! *cough* And an epilogue. Well, the second arc is basically and idea, but not a full-out official thing or anything. It's a possibility, but I have to get the feedback I need to make a decision. The epilogue is a definite yes, so don't you worry your ratty little selves about that.**

** So... All is well. Well...not _all_ is well. Snotlout as a person has a lot of ground to recover before he can regain Hiccup's trust, and then there's the matter of telling Astrid. Oh, boy. And Hiccup Horrendous the Fourth... Well... He's an oddball. A very VIOLENT oddball, may I add. And his presence will drastically affect the future of our favorite teens, leading up all the way to the second movie. So hold onto your caps, you awesome Fanrats, and await the beauty approaching. And while you're at it, please check out my new story that I'm probably going to continue called, "Roman Artifacts". I am going to make a few big changes to the story which is going to affect the plot so good thing I've only posted one chapter that's only an introduction. So check out that story if you can, because I simply adore the feedback you Fanrats have given me. The support has been immense, and I probably owe you a second arc for that alone.**

**Ugh... I've typed fifty pages. Fifty pages for ONE chapter. *looks at my fingers* Well, would you look at that. All of my fingers have snapped in half and are now angled irregularly. OWWWWWWWWWW! Okay, I was being a little too generous with the length, wasn't I? But... I had to make it long. After all, I'm wrapping up the arc of a very big story here. I'm happy I didn't rush it, and you know what? I'm proud of myself. Even if it did take longer than usual. Especially when I technically should be studying SAT's right now, but no worries! I'll get to that, no problem. But in the meantime, I have to go plan an epilogue. And then maybe, just maybe, I'll think about a second arc.**


	15. To Begin a Blunder

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. Pardon my extreme lack of care for this story, Fanrats. I do believe this is the longest time I've gone without ever updating. But in my defense, school is very important to me and from what I've heard from my fellow classmates, junior year is by far the most difficult. Not to mention that I have had to complete AP homework over and over, and ****_that_**** certainly ate up most of my time. In addition, I'm having some trouble with my mental health. But like it or not, I've got readers to satisfy. A sequel is remains a strong YES. **

**REGARDING SAID SEQUEL: I have been thinking about just how much having a child to care for would personally affect Hiccup and Astrid's daily lives as dragon riders. Obviously, a LOT more time would be taken off their hands, and they would have to sacrifice some interesting things we've seen in Race to the Edge in order to properly care for their son. So, in retrospect, let's say that Race to the Edge never happened, hm? Zip, zero, nada, goose eggs. I don't believe that Hiccup would be too invested in exploring the rest of the Archipelago with Toothless and the rest of the gang if he's a father now. It IS a coming-of-age story, except in the REAL story, he doesn't truly discover that until the second movie. In my version, he's got to grow up a little a drop some of the adventures to invest his family. So things are going to be a LOT more different in terms of when the second arc takes place, how Hiccup interacts with Astrid, his father, and his friends. **

**And if things seem weird or improbable in my story... You're probably right. Heheh. Welcome to the mind of Emma Harness the Fanrat Queen, ladies and gentlemen. Now, I've got a LOT of reviews to respond to, especially with the last chapter only serving to explain WHY I've been absent for so long.**

**In regards to all of the people who are surprisingly shocked as to why my parents don't want me on this website: This website is a screwy, messed-up place. Hentai, bestiality, gay stuff (which I'm not a fan of, but whatever your preference is, that's alright) lots and lots of gay stuff. Very VERY graphic descriptions of violence, things of a sexual nature. I don't blame them for not wanting me on this website. In fact, I'd be shocked if they didn't care. But they DO care about my well-being, and I'm quite surprised that the reviewers failed to realize that I'm still a kid. Do I need to be looking at inappropriate works? No, and that's what my parents are afraid of. They don't want me exposed to the God-awful trash that we all can admit, is on this website. They want what's best for me and they don't believe that this is the way to augment my writing skills. They are totally cool with me writing in ****_general_****. In fact, they encourage that all the time, but they don't believe that this is the website they want me to promote my work on. (I'm still doing it though) Sorry Mom and Dad, if you're reading this. I love you both so much, but this is for ME. **

**:( Man, I really hope you're not reading this. **

**On a cheerier note, to the beautiful reviewers who sent me such sweet messages, wishing me luck and good health, assuring me not to worry about deadlines: you guys are amazing! Your reviews almost made me cry. And it's true. I am going through a tough time right now with my mental health, and you know what? I'm gonna fight it! :D So thank you so much, with all my heart: Grandtheftfandom, Angryhenry (I love ya bro!) Guest, wedobeamurican, CassandraDayTree, A Person Who Likes Comedy (my goofy writing partner), FluentFletcher (my serious writing partner), Noname, TheInkSplotches, the death bringer779 (thank you for your kind words!) Rue Lupin (bro, you are an official Fanrat. Welcome to the club!) Kaihaku No Irok (thank you so much for sharing your story :) ), CartoonLoverBecky, Hypernova5.0 (thanks Joe ;) ), Blue - The First Traveller, Midoriko-sama, PuppeteerOllie, mtack94, Guardian of Azarath, Checkingdude, and secret love writer.**

**Commence Ze responses (For Chapter Fourteen: To Rescue or Not, That is The Mishap):**

**The Burning Pillar: It's great to see you again, buddy! I was overjoyed to recieve your review (as I always am) and I'm pleased to tell you that there will be a sequel. So who knows? Maybe I'll see you there...? ;D Anyway, happy late Merry Christmas and belated Happy New Year!**

**Mveflxstr1: I almost broke my on phone while I was typing the chapter. XD I'm so glad I was able to nearly being you to tears. If I've done that, then I've done my job. Hurrah!**

**Guest: You would TURN MY STORY INTO A MOVIE?! That's awesome! I don't think Dreamworks would be pleased with you and I, but it's still a sweet gesture! Love ya bro! You have a wonderful day!**

**Shiori Kudo: Is that what it is? Thanks for the tip! I was pretty confused about it, and I realized, dang, I'm never gonna figure this out unless I look it up. Haha... I'm awful.**

**Gyromice89: Buddy, I give you my word, that I will never stop writing. And if I do, it's always temporary, so thank you for your kind words!**

**DragonFire155: ...You stayed up until 6:00 AM?! On one hand: oh my lord, I hope that was a holiday! D: One the other hand: I'm flattered beyond belief that you were that intrigued to sacrifice sleep time. Have an awesome day, thank you for that little tidbit (cracked me up XD) and next time, get some sleep! **

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: Dude, don't even joke about that! But seriously, that'd be funny. **

**SpencerReidFan89: Thanks! The dragons inner voices were German because...um...cripes...well, there's a reason. There IS a reason, and it's NOT because I wanted a cheap shot at being creative Uh...Oh, look! Another reviewer! *dives behind FluentFletcher***

**FluentFletcher2: Fletcher, you by far the most inspiring author I have ever met in my life. You DESERVE a second arc, but you know how my parents are on top of me! D: Thanks anyway, dude.**

**DisneyandDreamworksFangirl: I'll try my best. Right now, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, because it may lead up to a sequel. Thank you! ;D**

**Humenwrecker: I present to you: Hiccup's family! Dun-dun-DUUUUUN!**

**Guardian of Azarath: Well, I will admit that Hiccup's son is a bit of a lout. Yeah, you heard me. A lout. He's gonna ha-WAIT I CANNOT TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT HIM! SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS! Whoa... I blacked out there. Anyways, yes; I can't wait to see what you think of Hiccup's new family! Enjoy the chapter!**

**So here we are! The epilogue that may or may not commence the sequel.**

**One last thing: I do not in any way own the rights to the "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise. If I did, something weird would happen to it. **

**Okay, last LAST thing: There is absolutely NO swearing allowed in the reviews, no profanity, NONE of that. I put an effort to keep swears out of my story so that EVERYONE can enjoy it, so please make the effort to keep your language clean in the review! Thank you! :) so please make the effort to keep your language clean **

**_Chapter Fifteen: The End of a Mishap; The Beginning of an Blunder_**

_Gormánuður, 1093_

_Dear former friends who've taken this journal without permission, _

_You know as time wears on and on, I'm surprised I've got enough time to write any of this down. Why? Well, I'm a dad now. ...Yep. I honestly didn't expect that to happen and neither did you._

_So much has changed in a short span of nine months that I wonder what else could POSSIBLY come along. I couldn't have expected it. And neither could Astrid, but here we are taking care of a baby who won't stop crying. Hurrah. A most sincere HURRAH. I figured I'd record some of the significant changes that have occurred since the birth of my son. _

_I knew that things would be different after baby came along, but nothing prepared me for these 180's. Dad certainly didn't. (No offense if you're reading this, Dad. ...Man, I really hope you're not reading this). But if things get as crazy as Gobber said they were going to be, at least you'll get a few laughs. So enjoy the runes, I suppose. Just don't show any of your friends. Meaning Gobber. He'd make a field day out of this._

_As I was saying, the change is inevitable-and often unspeakable. If someone told me that their marriage didn't change because of their kid, they weren't being honest with me. When you go from just you and your spouse to you, your spouse and a baby, things WILL change. And don't get me wrong; change isn't a bad thing- at least not always. I'll always love you, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock IV. But you drive me absolutely bonkers._

_Sound familiar, Dad? Remember when you thought your baby was going to fit neatly into your current life? (Excuse me. Now it's my turn to laugh.) Nope, didn't happen. I was nothing short of an enigmatic case, and a burden at times, I'm sure. But it's worth it, isn't it? Once you have a baby, you become painfully aware that your life now revolves around this little helpless person who needs you. And despite having a pretty simple existence (eating, sleeping...and such), it needs round-the-sundial care and undivided attention. _

_Consider your world officially rocked; your relationship included. That's why I'm hurrying along to write this down in my notebook, because I know that I probably won't get to get another chance like this in a while. Aaaand here comes Astrid to make the exchange. My turn to hold you, Hiccup._

I'M FREE! Haha, just kidding. Sort of. Anyway, now it's my turn! This is Astrid, obviously, and I'm here to tell you that with the trials of motherhood, you might begin to _hate_ your partner a little bit. (I see you rolling your eyes over my shoulder, sweetie).

On most days, I'm UNDERSTANDABLY hormonal and crazy from breastfeeding, and my husband has a hard time because he doesn't know how the Frigg to help. Is that his fault? No. Well... Wait. Let me backtrack to what I said about hating your partner. Maybe HATE is a strong word, but you might find yourself snapping at your partner a whole lot more than you used to. You might resent him a little for going to the Smithy while you're home on duty, you might despise the way he fastens a skivvy or mixes yak milk or whatever. But remember this and remember it well: This does NOT mean we're headed for divorce. Even if we go a little nuts from sleep deprivation, it doesn't mean our marriage is doomed.

Emotional imbalance... Some people call those early mood swings, like a result of hormonal changes and sleep deprivation. Or as Fishlegs likes to call them: "baby blues". And they're perfectly normal, as long as they don't escalate into postpartum depression. Gothi insisted that the hormones will eventually balance out — but I've also got to snap myself out of my bad moods.

And if we're talking about changes in marriage, take a gander on the more _intimate_ segment. (Excuse me, Stoick, but I don't believe you should be reading this anyway). Such a cliche, we know. But, temporarily at least. Intimacy at this point in my life has taken a nosedive. I have to wait about six weeks after have given birth before having "ahem" again. And once you've gotten the go-ahead from Gothi, you might not actually feel ready to do it yet (yes, it may hurt—it won't be torture, but I've been through a lot, and it will take time to get back to normal). Of course, I don't want to rush myself if I'm not ready, but I also want to talk to Hiccup about what's going on so he doesn't think the lack of "ahem" is his fault-or that it's going to be like this forever. (And definitely don't let it be like this forever. We could use it). Excuse my lack of decorum. But it's not like anyone is going to read this anyway.

Let's see... Once we had our baby, we were a little distant from each other. It obviously hurt my husband's feelings; we were mostly distant because all I wanted to do was be around the baby. And why wouldn't I? It's the middle of Devastating Winter and it ain't getting any warmer.

So he made me sit down and he lectured me about how we are still married and our relationship is just as important. And of course it is. I know that. Which is why I proudly imprinted my knuckles upon his shoulder for being such a worrywart.

It goes without saying that you love your baby more than anything, and that probably includes your partner. (Well, maybe not more, just differently.) But I couldn't have predicted that, at least for a little while, I would practically forget that he exists. I try not to make it too obvious, because he's crazy about the baby too, but there's no reason either of you should hurt each other's feelings because of it.

The time we used to have for each other, where I would lie on the bed with my husband for hours at night, is gone. Flying with our dragons? Ha! _That_ has taken a pratfall to the extremity. Now that time is spent cleaning up, prepping things for the next day: bottles, outfits, and doing household chores. It's a necessity that has to be done, and I'm not undignified enough to say that we SHOULDN'T live up to our responsibilities, but it'd be nice-and Hiccup feels strongly about this-if we could just rewind things. Backward. And don't get me wrong. I love my baby to bits, and I don't regret him in the slightest. But what mother doesn't want a break every so often?

Hiccup aches to go. Literally. He WANTS to get out there and explore the world with Toothless, and he wants his freedom. Well, tough luck. This is reality. And our story is not like some sort of epic. (Though it may be in Snotlout's case, considering the fact that he saved our behinds). I like to think of our story as a comedy, because it really is. A story that ended in marriage, because that is what a comedy is. "A comedy of errors" Fishlegs calls it. Yeah, he's probably right.

_Aaaand we've traded back._

_I see Astrid has taken the time to write about our private life and me personal longings. Thanks Astrid. I really appreciate it... Well, while we're on the topic of niceties-Yeah, _those_ have gone out the window. It's caused a lot of friction between us. We've bickered much more than we used to. I don't want to use the term "fight", because to me, that means yelling and feelings being hurt. We just snap at each other more easily. She throws a punch, I snide, and in the end it feels like nothing's happened._

_While I'm at it, there's no such thing as downtime. And there's hardly room for seconds when the seconds melt away. _

_The dragons still haven't returned from that island where Astrid and I spent our darkest days, which is a shame, but I understand that they need to take their time. Fun fact: while everyone was camping out in the hall, things were a bit hectic than usual. It turns out that my son is a bit of a screamer-and even that sounds like an understatement, because this kid is LOUD. Like loud-loud. It certainly didn't help with the size of the hall, because his cries were echoed and projected around the room, so it was impossible to block your ears from it. Talk about embarrassing. Thankfully, the rest of the village seemed to understand, and nobody complained much. Most of the adults are parents anyway, so they got our pain._

_This may come as a surprise, but our friends were actually a big help, and not mention our only source of entertainment whilst we were cooped up in said hall. Thank the Gods that none of us are claustrophobic-oh wait, the Gods blessed Fishlegs with THAT. I guess he couldn't complain though. At least we weren't freezing to death outside. Which got all of us pretty concerned about the dragons. It's clear that they have built-in furnaces, but Fishlegs and I are still debating whether or not they're cold-blooded or warm-blooded._

"Pfffffffft..." Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Fourth grinned mischievously and snorted with laughter as he delved deep into each and ever chapter, not minding that most of his parents' entries went completely over his head as his clever emerald eyes flickered over the runes.

"Oh wow... This is weird," he chuckled, swiping his scarlet bangs out of his face before adjusting his horned helmet. Seven years of notes all collected and recorded in this little booklet-for him to examine and laugh at as they described what a bundle of work he was for them to care for.

A sharp gust of wind tugged at a few loose pages and he grunted, tightening his grip on the leather outer layer. "Mmph," he muttered, peering out into the vast ocean. The last thing he wanted to happen was the gusts to abduct the journal and send it fluttering into the rocky shores at the base of the cliff below. Clutching the precious cargo closer to his chest, he cautiously pulled it away just a bit so he could turn the page.

Although he was at the young age of seven, Hiccup had developed quite the knack for reading, speaking with a smooth, clear voice, and an extended vocabulary relatively long for a child his age. Another gust of wind smacked him from behind-this time dislodging his helmet so that it fell over his eyes. If he had a fault, however...it was hat had a tendency to lose him temper.

Here-his short temper blew a fuse. He'd been up here for hours adjusting himself. "_Augh_!" He hissed, angrily smacking back his helmet so that it placed itself properly. "There. Stupid wind," he grumped, shoving the notebook into his rich, chocolate fur vest before crossing his lithe arms with a prominent scowl.

"Oi there, lil' dude!"

The seven-year-old peered over his shoulder and grinned toothily before giving a wave. "Hi, Aunt Snotlout!" He chirped.

The approaching man gave an annoyed scowl of his own and gently smacked the kid on the back of the head, dislodging his helmet once more. "That's _Uncle_ Snotlout to you, _Hicky_." The young boy stuck out his tongue as he clutched at his horns, and that's when the much older Viking noticed faint edge of leather protruding from his "nephew's" vest.

"Whaddaya got there, anyway?" Snotlout queried, seating himself on the cliff's edge. "Studying for the Dragon Training Academy?"

"No." A childish yet rather complacent grin overtook the entirety of the boy's freckled face, and Snotlout swore that he caught a glint of Loki in the boy's eyes. "I'm invading a diary of my parents that includes many of their personal memoirs from which I stole from their room." He thought for a moment and added, "-It's kinda weird," as an afterthought.

The twenty-two-year-old took a start, perplexed beyond belief by why this kid could be so serene and straightforward without fear of consequence. Not that this was the first time he had been so securely unfazed by his own mischievous actions, even if there were allegations equipped with more than a few thick shreds of evidence.

"...Oh," he responded shortly, clasping his thick hands together as he stared out into the vast, cloudy ocean. He winced. Even if a span of seven years had passed since the unfortunate kidnap and rescue, he still had nightmares and moments where he was hesitant to set foot upon a boat. Even if it was over, mental marks remained. He could only imagine how Hiccup and Astrid held up, and they were the only ones whom he trusted to reluctantly share his thoughts and feelings.

"I like your moxie, kid."

"Yeah, I know," the boy sniggered. He also had a tendency to be rather pleased with himself, like now. "The thing was in a box—a _locked_ box, mind you. Goes to show that sometimes, hey: I can be plenty stealthy!"

It was true. While the boy lacked a toned physique like most other Viking children his age, he certainly made up for it by just how sneaky he was, while his counterparts were bulky and loud.

As for the journal, Snotlout decided not to prod. After all, this was his cousin's affair, not his. Instead, he looked about and questioned, "Where's Chaos? He came with you, r-OOOF!" Not a moment later, an unknown force that seemed to have come from above precariously shoved him backward. Hiccup smirked as his uncle landed on his back. An equally smug Deadly Fury, who took the man's place beside the young Viking, soon replaced him.

"I dunno," Hiccup shrugged, giving an affectionate pat to his dragon's beak. "He's around here somewhere, right boy?" Chaos's spines flexed with pleasure and he squawked goofily, urging his human to play. "Why don't you check the Forge!?" He sniggered, jumping up to tackle the reptile.

Snotlout lifted his head and blew his raven bangs out of his eyes with a huff. "Don't think I need to," he retorted in annoyance, pulling his body up in a daze before brushing himself off. "Had enough trauma occur in THAT place already." But he couldn't help but grin at the child-like innocence that deluged the boy when he roughhoused with his pet. It was a rarity to say the least, when he was innocent.

"Say, where are those siblings of yours?" He inquired, smirking in amusement as the boy froze in mid-tackle, allowing the Deadly Fury to shove him over. "Weren't you supposed to be watching them?"

A flash of uncertainty flickered across Hiccup's face, and Snotlout wondered for a moment if he was genuinely concerned for the safety of his siblings. But it passed on a moment later, and the egotistical expression returned. "I dunno," he intoned. "Probably out picking their noses."

Snotlout's gaze hardened. The young twins-Sigrun and Sigmund-were only five, and had a seemingly unbreakable habit of stealing away from the group to go hunt for trolls or bunnies. Either was probable. "Didn't your dad tell you to watch them?"

Hiccup huffed with a roll of his eyes as he adjusted his helmet once more. "Kind of," he admitted. "But if they didn't wander off every five seconds to dig for gold, I wouldn't have to worry."

"They wouldn't have wandered off if you'd been watching them," Snotlout pointed out, bending down to grasp the boy's fragile hand. "Now come on. We're going back to the house."

"What?! Oh, come on... Can't we just fly there?" Hiccup asked with a pout, beckoning Chaos to follow suit.

Snotlout threw his head back and laughed as if Hiccup's question was beyond absurd. "No, because Hookfang is at the dentistry and if you're alone up in the air wrecking havoc, there's no way I'd be able to keep an eye on you," he smoothly responded, tugging his nephew along.

"That was kinda the idea," Hiccup mumbled, clutching his vest to make sure the journal remained in place.

"And quit dragging your feet!"

...

Since flying wasn't an option, it took the crew quite a while to reach the Haddock household, where the rest of offspring of Toothless and Stormfly were waiting. The walk itself was quiet enough, though there was an intense presence that made Snotlout's hair stand up on end. He wasn't sure what it was, other than Hiccup's eyes boring holes into his soul from behind.

Snotlout shook off the feeling and walked on. "Okay, stay close," he ordered as they approached the household. Hiccup looked at the ground. There was a prominent slump in his posture, as if he had already accepted an awaiting punishment that was sure to befall upon him. But with Hiccup, that was hardly ever the case. It was quite difficult for someone of his caliber to ever accept defeat, like a true Viking.

Mayhem, the oldest of the Deadly Furies was parked outside the home, dozing away until she heard the approaching footsteps. The dragon stirred, lifted her head, and smiled a toothy smile at the incoming humans. Hiccup grinned back and waved, but grew slightly tense as Snotlout pounded on the door.

It wasn't a second later when the door opened, and two blonde heads peeped out, blue irises staring at them intensely. A boy and a girl. Cuter than anything. The twins.

"Oooooh!" The tiny girl squealed gleefully. "Daaaaddy! Mooooommyyyy! Hiccup's hooooome!" The youngest of the Deadly Furies, Tickles, appeared behind the twins and gave a squawk-like croon.

A flash of indignation crossed the young boy's face and he scowled. "Hush up," he mumbled quietly, knowing his remark would only reach the ears of his little sister, Sigrun, so he signed it to his brother, Sigmund, too.

Most would have grown crestfallen if scolded, but if anything, the girl's smile got wider, as did her azure eyes. She gasped and ran into the house, leaving the doorway empty. "Ooooh! Mommy, you're not gonna believe what he said!"

Sigmund gripped the doorframe with his tiny fingers and stuck out his tongue. The little boy was cheerful despite his deafness (which Hiccup and Astrid discovered shortly after he was born), and got along quite well using sign language to communicate with his family. It got a little tough when it came to strangers, but thankfully his sister would always be there to help translate. They were as thick as thieves, he and his twin. And sometimes their proximity irked their older brother, who was a bit of an introvert.

Hiccup growled and tried to yank his hand away from Snotlout, only to freeze as his father entered the doorway, his daughter in tow.

"I didn't say anything!" Hiccup quickly defended himself as the lithe man sighed and leaned down to scoop up the child, who immediately tried to maneuver out of said grip.

"I'm sure you didn't," Hiccup the Third sighed with exasperation before eyeing his cousin and thanking him with relief. "Geez, thanks so much for bringing him back, Snotlout."

The slightly older Viking pretended to shrug modestly and gave a smirk to the child who was still trying to maneuver his way out of his father's arms. "Slippery little eel, isn't he? Consider yourself _lucky_ that I brought him back, because I don't babysit often."

Hiccup's eyes narrowed instantly. "Really?" He intoned. "Well then forgive me for thinking it was out of the kindness of your heart. Pity that I have to rely on luck alone in your case."

"I can see why," the small boy mumbled sarcastically, earning a little flick on the nose from his uncle. "OW! Why would you _do_ that?!" Down below, Sigrun giggled and sucked on her thumb and Sigmund hugged his father's leg.

"Ah, Karma, how I worship thee," Snotlout snickered.

"You can't hurt kids anymore," the boy angrily protested, "It's the tenth century for crying out loud!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll keep that in mind. Have fun with the little cretins, Hiccup!" Snotlout sneered before waving goodbye and strolling away, oblivious to the burning stare piercing his back from the young child. "And tell Astrid I dropped by!"

"Will do, 'Lout," Hiccup sighed. It took a moment for father and son to remember the situation at hand and they caught each other's gazes within a moment of resolve. The younger of the two put on his best innocent grin.

"Hi."

"Don't "hi" me; you're in a heap of trouble," Hiccup scolded sternly. His son's smile faded. Through the course of a week, he had managed to sneak off multiple times, this being the fourth.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stay with your siblings?" He asked austerely as they left the chilly outdoors to enter the warm insides of the house. "You're allowed to explore the island, but only if you have each other. You're lucky they had the sense to return home on their own."

The scarlet-haired child frowned. Oh boy. The joys of mischief always died off quickly when confronted by his dad. "If it's so easy for Sigrun and Sigmund to come back by themselves," he pondered, "why do you need me to watch them?"

Before his father could elaborate further, the woman of the house spoke up. "Oh, _hey_ sweetie," Astrid greeted, spotting her eldest son. She was kneeling at the fire pit in the center of the house, rotating a spit with a lovely speared leg of mutton for later eating. She stood, briskly dusted off her hands on her spiked skirt, and looked the child in the eye.

"Well, long time no see. Where were you?"

Hiccup bit his lip as his mother smiled in a way that only signaled his doom. She was virtually the only person he was afraid of and respected in any way.

"Just...um..." He began, raising his hand to adjust his helmet. As he did so, his vest shifted just enough so that the hidden journal came loose and fell to the floor with a thud.

In natural proximity to the floor, Sigrun and Sigmund were the first to notice the journal fall, (Sigrun to hear the thump and Sigmund to see) and the first to rush over, nearly tripping over themselves before leaning over to pick it up. Sigrun's large blonde braids bobbed as she excitedly announced,

"Hiccy took another book!"

Sigmund smirked and signed a secret message to his sister, which meant something like, "_Trouble, Hiccup is a BAD brother, book-stealer."_

"Sigruuuun...!" The little boy moaned through gritted teeth, his face paling slightly. "Don't call me that!" And to Sigmund, "And I did not _steal_-I borrowed. There's a difference."

"What's this?" Hiccup carefully bent over to take the book and his son pursed his lips. He inspected it and gasped upon realization. "Is this-? Is this the forbidden journal!?" Astrid rose her eyebrows and both adults stared at the little boy, who's gaze flickered uncomfortably.

Sigmund studied their facial expressions carefully; it would help him depict the situation at hand when sound was always unavailable.

"Oh. That. Well. You should know," Hiccup IV coughed awkwardly into his hand. "I think you wrote it, after all, I gather."

They collected their resolve at his quip. "Watch your tone," Astrid warned. She eyed the journal. "How'd you manage to get your hands on this?" She asked in genuine confusion. "I thought we locked it up!" She shot an accusing look at the seven-year-old, who beamed innocently.

"We did," the man groaned, using a free hand to rub the space between his emerald eyes, "until Lord Sticky-Fingers here decided that such a memoir couldn't be contained." He beheld his son expectantly. "So what DID happen?"

"Ohhhh." The boy blinked, wracking his brain for an answer. "Um... Long story?"

"I have time."

His lips twitched. "Ehheh...No."

"Hiccup," Astrid warned, the octaves of her voice rising. She rose to her feet with slight difficulty, due to her pregnant state. "You know perfectly well that you're only allowed to be wandering around outside if your siblings are with you. So what makes you think you can ditch them, hm? Oh, that's right! You can't."

With callused fingers, she daintily plucked the journal from her husband's hand and waved it before her son's flushed face. "Nor are you supposed to take things that aren't yours. How many times do I have to tell you before it sinks into that skull of yours?"

"I asked him the same thing," Hiccup sighed, a tired smirk tugging at his lips.

The little boy sensed the danger signals, but refused to submit. "...I dunno."

"You don't know?" Astrid repeated. "Not an inkling?"

Hiccup thought for a moment and snappishly replied, "Nope. Now will you please just stop TALKIiiiiiinnnnn…" He trailed mid-word, realizing the intensity of his mistake.

Astrid's nostrils flared for a moment as her husband groaned and gave his son a slight shake. "Hiccup!" He scolded. "How dare you speak to your mother that way?"

The young Viking's eyes cast themselves to the wooden floor, unreadable, though a small trace of regret trailed across his face. He knew what was coming as his father set him down.

Astrid beckoned her son forward, her next intentions clear. The young child shuffled his feet for a moment before a gentle push from his father urged him forward. Sigrun and Sigmund watched with wide eyes from their spots on the floor, squeezing poor Tickles as though she were a ragdoll. Hiccup dragged his feet, wondering if perhaps if he moved slowly enough, he could avoid the inevitable.

The first pop on the back of the legs echoed throughout the house, causing everyone but Sigmund to flinch from the noise (though he did watch fearfully). Hiccup the Fourth's freckled face scrunched into a rather sour expression while his father squeamishly gritted his teeth.

Nothing pained a parent like watching his or her child undergo punishment, but much-needed respect had to be upheld in a household, especially toward a mother and father.

The second pop followed shortly after the first and the young lout's face crumpled slightly from the sting on the back of his legs. Unbeknownst to the surrounding party, red marks were beginning to appear on the pale, freckled skin through his trousers following suit to each slap. The last pop occurred shortly after, and the little boy's tough Viking facade finally crumbled and he sniffed, his emerald eyes growing runny and red.

Hiccup, now from his spot in the wooden armchair, breathed in and out whilst he watched his son wither under the dominating gaze of Astrid. She was always the one to inflict a disciplinary action upon the children, whether it be a time-out in the corner, a list of extra chores, a boxing to the ears, or...this.

Unsurprisingly, and rather unfortunately, this was nothing new. Heck, Hiccup could remember many a time when his own father gave a swat on the behind to straighten out his temporary phase of immoral behavior. Astrid was especially used to this form of chastisement, having grown up in a strict household, but even after so many times of watching his son get punished, Hiccup STILL wasn't used to it.

He remained incline to wince at every whack, every light slap to the cheek; even a light tug on the arm to gain Sigmund's attention caused his form to tense. That's why at the end of every punishment, he would gather up the child in his arms and speak soothing words of comfort and an explanation _why_, because that was something his own father failed to do after a severe castigation, and it confused Hiccup beyond belief.

So after Hiccup IV had received the proper punishment, his father pulled him into an embrace. "Don't you _ever_ speak to your mother that way," he firmly reprimanded. "Do you understand?"

Hiccup had grown quiet. "...Uh-huh." His bravado had vanished and gloominess had taken its place.

"...Good. Now...ah, go to your room and think about what you've said, and what you can do better next time. Understood, young man?"

"Mmff."

"Alright. Go on."

Hiccup complied with a bit of fire as he stomped upstairs, his little half-sleeved hands clenched into white-knuckled fists.

After he left, the two adults exhaled and caught each other's eyes.

"He'll learn," Hiccup insisted. "...Eventually."

"Ugh." Astrid returned to the fire and rotated the spit where the lovely let of mutton was roasting. "Good luck, Chief-Hey, watch out sweetie," she gently cautioned, outstretching an arm to keep Sigrun from nearing the flames. "Don't get too close to the fire. It's hot, remember? Ouchie!"

Hiccup smiled and sighed as his daughter sprung away from the fire. "Man. I don't what to do with him, Astrid." He plopped back down in the armchair to contemplate. The twins scurried into his lap soon after and buried their faces into his forest-green tunic. Tickles followed suit, waddling after the children and faithfully settling down at Hiccup's feet to chew on his prosthetic.

"I mean, I can handle the sass-mouthing," Hiccup went on, "the pillaging of my personal belongings, and the rude gestures, but if he's endangering himself and his siblings by running away on a daily basis, then..."

"Hire another baby-sitter," Astrid supplied whilst she placed a hand on her enlarged stomach, rubbing and smiling. She was six months along, and quite frankly, considered herself an expert after three births. "Heck. Have Snotlout watch him. He's done it before. He'll do it again."

Hiccup grimaced and Sigrun giggled knowingly, signing to her brother to tell him what they were saying. He giggled too.

"Been there, done that." Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Snotlout always tries to avoid babysitting. Honestly."

"Get Grandpa to watch him."

"My dad then. ...Remember what happened the last time your dad watched him?"

Astrid blinked and shuddered squeamishly at the memory. "How could I forget? Took forever to wedge you out from under that fence."

"And even longer to herd the sheep back in their pen," Hiccup added and wiped his brow with a groan, as if the stress of that day had caught up with him.

A reoccurring thought penetrated Astrid's mind every time they talked about this. "You know... I'd say, 'just take him with you on Toothless and have Chaos follow,' but-"

"Too dangerous," Hiccup interjected with a firm shake of his head. "When you're over a thousand feet in the air, there are about a thousand things that can go wrong."

"On your watch?" She pressed, pausing her cooking to face him.

"Yes, and even if I DID let him travel with me, which I WON'T, there'd be no stopping his sadistic tendencies if I'm busy with the rigging."

"Sadistic tendencies? You make him sound like a psychopath," Astrid commented casually, noticing that Sigrun and Sigmund were tuning in with wide azure eyes. She had nearly forgotten that little pitchers have big ears.

"Oh, kids?" She said to Sigrun and signed for Sigmund, "Can you go outside and check on Mayhem for Mommy? I think she needs some loves from her brother and sister."

Sigrun perked and stuck a finger in her mouth. Sigmund chewed on his sleeve. "Okay!" The girl chirped, and the two dismounted their father's lap to run outdoors and give a belly rub to the middle-hatchling of the Deadly Fury clan. Once their innocent selves were absent, the two young adults eyed one another.

"Maybe THEY can baby-sit him," Hiccup joked, averting his gaze to the fire.

"Oh, come on; don't be wry," she scolded, and then, "Maybe you should just buck up and talk to 'im."

Hiccup's head snapped up and he stared at his wife in shock, as if she had suggested he do something atrocious like streak through the village.

"Wha-? Me?" He gasped before shrinking back in his chair and folding his arms around himself. "You don't mean me."

"Noooo... I meant Snotlout." Astrid glared. "Not the father of my children."

"Oh! N-No... No, no," he nervously objected. "You have to grasp how insane that sounds, Astrid. I-I can't just _talk_. That's-That is something _you're_ good at. Y-You-You're the sentient type when it comes to parenting...and I'm not."

Astrid folded her arms and skeptically rose a platinum eyebrow.

"Besides," he protested desperately, "the kid never listens!"

"Gee," the young woman intoned. "Can't imagine where he gets THAT from."

"Astrid, _please_."

Astrid narrowed her eyes and turned back to the spit. "Don't even start. You're acting like he _never_ listens, which obviously isn't true."

"It IS a rarity," Hiccup insisted. "And when he DOES listen," he sighed, "it's always with the...the scowl-" he rolled his eyes as Astrid mimicked the aforementioned expression. "-yeah, exactly like that. Bravo. It takes a true strike of brilliance to reenact that. You should get an award."

"Don't think I won't," she countered with a smirk.

"Astrid, I was being sarcastic!"

"Really? That's a rarity..." She chuckled upon seeing the intoned expression on the male's face. "Okay, fine, fine. So...he takes after his Grandpa Stoick. That's CUTE!" Astrid gushed, clasping her callused hands together. "Guess the lack of listening runs in the family. YOU certainly lack it, if I do say so myself."

"What?! Oh, for the love of Odin..."

"It's true."

"...Is not," he retorted indignantly.

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Not to mention that you're stubborn, impulsive-"

"Well, if I'm all _that_, then you're my _twin_."

"Alright. You know what?" Astrid abruptly whipped around and stalked over to her husband, placing her hands upon her hips. "Answer me this," she ordered.

Hiccup blinked at her sudden intensity, uncertain. "Uh, okay...?"

"Are we gonna let history repeat itself?" She asked.

Hiccup stared at her. "Um... Excuse me?"

"History," she explained. "A generation of long past. Heck, we've already got the scowl and deafness deja-vu; now we're dealing with the basis of parenting."

Hiccup bit his lip and studied the floor. "...Long past?"

"OUR past," Astrid emphasized. "We're dealing with the aftermath of mistakes that we've committed, and we have to fix them. Now," she said, her tone softening, "when you were a kid, did you ever wish that you could just sit down with your father and talk things out?"

Oh, did he _ever_. "...I, ah... Well..."

"Hm?" Astrid leaned down to catch his gaze, to which he quickly averted. "If I'm unmistaken, I seem to recall that Stoick once told you _not_ to father your children the way he fathered you."

Hiccup closed his eyes, feeling his insides churn with discomfort. "I-He-Yes," he whispered hoarsely. "H-He did. I'll admit."

"Exactly," she confidently confirmed. "What he wanted was for you to have the verbal relationship with your son that he never had with you. And we both know that it doesn't exactly apply the same way to Sigmund, but it matters just as much."

"...Correct again," Hiccup admitted, much to her satisfaction. "But-"

"But nothing," the woman cut off. "He wants you to have a mendable relationship with your kids, and this will apply to Sigrun and Sigmund sooner or later." Hiccup watched the fire with an augmenting shame burning in his eyes.

Unfortunately, his shame went unnoticed. Astrid let out a huff. "I mean, for Thor's sake, Hiccup; you can bark orders around at students during riding lessons all day, and yet a little chat with your own kids is impossible."

Hiccup stiffened considerably. "I do not _bark _orders..." He protested defensively. She was unintentionally making him squeamish with guilt.

"The least you can do," Astrid advised once more, "is sit down with him and talk about his feelings, because from the looks of his behavior, he lives on negative attention and he doesn't need that. He doesn't deserve that. What he DOES deserve is support from his mother, and support from his father. But what he needs more than anything right NOW is more _fatherly_ support."

Hiccup opened his mouth to speak but got cut off once again.

"And where's he supposed to be getting fatherly support?" Astrid asked with a bit of flourish. "Um, hello?" She called, tapping against his forehead. "From YOU!"

"...erk..."

Astrid paused her harangue for a moment to lick her chapped lips and observe her husband. She was surprised to see that he looked shrunk in on himself. His form was hunched, his eyes were wide and scared, and his half-sleeved fingers were tightly interwoven.

"...Hiccup?"

When he lacked a response, her hardened gaze softened and she knelt down to put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey," she murmured softly, worrying she had cut too deep, "don't tell me I hit a nerve."

His eyes flickered upward. "Astrid," he croaked. "I... I don't want to be..." He cleared his throat. "I don't want to be a bad father." A bad father... He winced. That would have to be his most abrasive fear ever since the news that Astrid was carrying his baby eight years ago. The fear that he would never live up to the expectations of perfect parenting priorities, and of what a father should be.

"Then go talk to him. It-It isn't that difficult..." Astrid trailed off and let out a breathy sort of laugh.

He stared numbly at the floor and let out a hollow laugh of his own. "I feel like my job as a parent has significantly worsened. I'm-I'm worse than my own dad." He laughed again. "Now if that isn't setting the bar low, I don't know what is."

Astrid blinked in surprise at his daunting statement and she removed her hand from his shoulder. "First of all, what makes you think you're a bad father?" She asked in confusion.

"Well, look at how I turned out, and look at how my son is turning out, for example."

"...Okay, you have to be a big idiot to think yourself as a bad parent because you don't talk to your son as much as you should."

An awkward shrug was her response. She grinned and patted his cheek. "Believe me, none of us are perfect, honey," she sweetly assured him. "We've all got flaws-me: a ton-and our parenting techniques aren't without 'em."

"Well that's just it," Hiccup moaned, burying his face in his callused palms. "I don't want those flaws. They're the last things I need. Fear, cowardice. I don't want to-to be scared and-and..." He sighed. "Man, what _wouldn't_ I give to be more like you?"

"Like me?"

"Of course, you. You're a great mother. You always seem to know what you're doing with the kids while I'm fumbling around like a newborn yak. Which I suppose isn't too far off from the truth, isn't it...? Because..." He gulped and rubbed his eyes. "I-I fear I'm no good at this."

"Oh, Hiccup," Astrid breathed, resting her forehead against where his eyebrows creased with ceaseless worry. "Do you really think it's unnatural to be frightened?"

"Of fear itself? No. Of fatherhood? ...Maybe." He sighed. "I don't know."

"You don't have to be scared, but if you are, that's normal," she assured. "None of us are perfect, and to prove that, we all wish to be like someone else. You wish you were more like me, I wish I could be more like you,-" Hiccup snorted and Astrid narrowed her eyes.

"-Gustav looks up to Snotlout, who takes after Spitelout, Ruff and Tuff equivocate Loki, Hiccup adores your dad, and our twins love Tickles and Mayhem..." They shared a chuckle at the thought of their daughter and son towing after the Deadly Furies like goslings waddling after ducks. "You are," she grinned, "a _terrific_ father, Hiccup. You ARE!"

"Terrific, huh?" The man breathed in deeply and let it out with a shudder. "You seem so confident in me," he mumbled. "I-I'm sure glad you think so."

"Hey, I know so," Astrid insisted. "You know why?"

Hiccup brushed a hand against her platinum bangs and smiled. "Why?"

"Because you're willing to sacrifice flying time and forging for your children and I."

"_Astrid_-"

"You watch over them during every second of your time when you're not being trained for chiefdom or smithing. You play with them, you help them bond with their dragons, you help them if they have a problem, and you understand them. You're teaching our deaf son to read and write and communicate! So you're a little less vocal than you should be with your firstborn. That's fixable."

"...Astrid-"

"On that island where we met our son for the first time-remember when I fainted after he came outta me?" She asked, and Hiccup nodded mutely.

"Before I slipped away," she continued warmly, her eyes glazing in remembrance, "I watched you hold him-our baby. He was so cold-and you wrapped him up in your vest even though you were freezing, and you cradled him to your chest... And-And you looked at him with that-that look in your eyes with so much love." She cupped his cheek in her palm and smiled sweetly, stroking the area gently with her thumb.

Hiccup smiled back, a faint blush tinting his face.

"I knew at that moment," she murmured, "that you had something good going. So do me a favor and remember that, okay?"

Hiccup closed his eyes, trying his best to illustrate that moment that had transpired eight years ago with clarity. When fantasy became reality and his son came into the world. "...I will." He smiled back, albeit faintly, and sealed the conversation with a gentle kiss. "Thank you, Astrid."

...

Upstairs within the dark, a sniveling child laid limp upon his bed, facedown with his limbs spread out awkwardly upon the wooden mattress, much like a rag-doll that had been stretched beyond comfort.

Punishment could have that affect on him. Although he involved himself in mischief plenty of times in the past, he had gotten away plenty of times without being caught, so he wouldn't call himself trouble. After all, it was only trouble if he got caught.

His head was now buried under a woolen pillow with his helmet discarded, so that his fiery hair tousled messily beyond belief. Despite that his range of sound detection had shortened because of the thick pillow, he could hear the muffled footsteps of someone ascending the staircase. Irritation overriding his system, the young boy pretended not to hear the distinct 'clink' 'thump' of his father's prosthetic foot.

'_Clink' 'Thump' 'Clink' 'Thump'_

It wasn't long before his personal bubble was so rudely invaded.

"Hey Bud," came the nasally voice of the twenty-two-year-old attempting to sound comforting. Hiccup tried to ignore the hand that gently grasped his lithe, bony shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. "Feeling any better?" He asked.

"Oh... You _do_ care," Hiccup mumbled into the pillow, and his father gave a sad little smile before pulling the little boy onto his lap. As he stroked his fingers through his son's long scarlet tresses, Hiccup found himself involuntarily observing how much the kid had grown.

It was so hard to believe that so much time had passed since this child was a tiny, pink baby whining for his parents' attention. He sighed and placed Hiccup on his knee, trying to ignore the look of disdain radiating off his son's face. Where did all of the time go?

After a few moments of tense silence of the seven-year-old refusing to make any sort of communication, Hiccup quietly spoke. "Do you have anything to say in regards to what happened today?"

Hiccup said nothing and the man inwardly groaned at the boy's stubbornness. Why did he have to be born a Viking? A _Viking_ of all creatures, and a balky one at that. As if a culmination of seven generations of adamant bullheaded muscle-bound breeding stock was bad enough... "_A simple apology from this kid would do quite nicely." _But with this child, expressing remorse was a true rarity, and actual cooperativeness was as practically non-existent as a generous Nightmare.

"Hiccup, I'm not going to leave until you talk to me," the man warned, and he was serious. That's all it took for the boy to speak, but when he did, his voice unwound like a rusty gear.

"I...heard what you said a-about me," he croaked, his throat rather hoarse from crying.

For a moment, Hiccup's mind went blank. What did he-? ...Oh... Oh! He froze, and the grip on his son tightened. Was he referring to the meeting he and his wife had just discussed? "Oh! Di-Did you now?"

Hiccup looked thoughtful. "...What's a psychopath?"

Those few couple of words could've pin-cushioned Hiccup's heart as though they were a series of needles. Nothing could have prepared him for this disarray mix-up. Literally. He hadn't grown up with a sentient father to set an example for what to do in a situation like this. He had gone and complained about his own child-right in the other room where said child could overhear it, and now he had to explain the insulting term he had used to describe his son, to his son.

"Oh, Hiccup... I-I," he faltered terribly, and cleared his throat before going on, "I'm so sorry you had to hear that, Bud. You didn't need to listen to that."

"I tried not to," the young Viking replied with a sniff. "I wasn't trying to listen or anything, but with you guys downstairs, and-and th' echo of your voices... It's like what Uncle Tuffnut said-it's not eavesdropping if you aren't listening-but I couldn't help hearing." With that off his chest, the little boy grappled his pillow and tugged it over, to which he shoved upon his face so that he wouldn't have to see his father.

"Hiccup-"

"No," came Hiccup's angry, muffled reply. "And I'm not a psychopath, by the way... Whatever that is."

"You aren't a psychopath," the frazzled father desperately tried to assure him. "Dagur's a psychopath. Alvin's a psychopath. You aren't anything like them-Hiccup! Hiccup, listen to me," he tried once more to keep the conversation on track and say what he had wanted to in the first place. "All I want is for you to understand why it was dangerous that you disobeyed us and ran away from your siblings. Especially your brother."

"Me?! Ran away?!" Hiccup threw the pillow off to reveal his scarlet, tear-painted face, and the older male felt his innards constrict. "_They're_ the ones who always-"

"THEY are five years old!" The young man exclaimed, exasperated at his son's stubbornness. "You are almost eight! What? Do you expect them to have the attention spans of Greek philosophers?"

"Nah, I'd be giving them far too much credit if I compared them to _Roman_ philosophers," Hiccup griped.

"Exactly! You know they can't stroll around the island by themselves."

The scarlet-haired boy contemplated this before a tiny little smirk spread across his face. "Shyeah. Remember the last time we left them unattended? Mildew's place? Tickles? His _whole_ cabbage field aflame-!"

Hiccup shuddered on the other end of the spectrum. That had been a terrible day. He had been on a friendly stroll with his children and their pets, Chaos and Tickles, and it wasn't long until he noticed that the twins had run off with his son hot on their tail.

Confident that he would catch up and curious to see how the young boy would handle the situation, he hung back somewhat. This proved to be a mistake to let his son take matters into his own hands, because once he took in the smoke billowing over the hilltop... By Freyja...

"That was partially your fault, Bud. And that little conundrum resulted in Mildew screaming at Tickles, Grandpa, and Gobber, which resulted in them all screaming at me-" Almost like HE had been punished for not keeping a better eye on his child. Understandable enough, but...

"Pffffft!" Hiccup stared at his suddenly giggling son in disbelief. That reaction alone illustrated just how different they were from each other. What were the chances that his son would inherit Snotlout, Astrid, _and_ Stoick's personality traits, but not his own? He may have passed on uncanny phenotypes, but beyond that was NOT his own doing. Perhaps spending time on Dagur's ship all those years ago had addled his boy in the head a bit.

"That was hilarious-Hey!" Hiccup had gripped his son by the chin and forcefully turned his head so that their eyes could meet, irritated emerald iris to angry forest green. "What?" The boy protested uncomfortably. "Nobody likes that guy anyway!"

"Can we keep the conversation on track instead of degrading Mildew for the billionth time, please? The man's already a wreck as it is," The twenty-two-year-old groaned, inwardly screaming at himself to keep his own temper on check. "As I was saying, you KNOW that Sigrun nor Sigmund nor Tickles nor Mayhem can be left alone without a supervisor."

The young boy considered complaining that all his father cared about was his pathetically dumb little siblings, but decided against it. The last thing he wanted was to have his ears boxed again.

"Even if it's me?" Hiccup squeaked out as his father's finger tightened around his jawline.

"_Especially_ if it's you," the man affirmed. "You're almost eight years old; it's time you learned a bit about responsibility, diplomacy-"

"-And tact," the boy finished with a withering glare, "I get it. But tact is nothing without dignity, and I've got plenty of that."

"...I think you've got the wrong idea, but...okay. Good," Hiccup removed his callused fingers from the boy's jaw and gave him an exhausted smile, to which his son gave him a toothy half-grin in return. "You should already know this, Bud, since you're going to be the Chief someday. We've had this conversation before so many times."

"Correction: _Mom_ and I have had this conversation so many times while you've been kissing Toothless." He perked, unaware of the strangled gasp his father emulated and the affect his words had on him.

"Say... Since you're getting sick of it already..." He trailed, bringing his father out of his self-induced shame, more from the fact that Astrid had had these talks with their son and not him, rather than the innocent yet irritating accusation of him having an inappropriate relationship with his dragon. "...Wouldn't you like to just let me be to run free reign over myself?"

"Ha. You're funny." The older male shook his head with a small smile and ruffled his son's wild, fiery hair once he had collected himself. "No. As long as you keep getting into trouble, I'll never stop lecturing you. It may never end, but that's up to you."

"Dang it."

"Hey, don't look so grouchy; you'll understand someday that reprimanding boys is just a father's job," he added when his son slumped over.

"Okay... Yeah. I guess that's true," the boy admitted.

"I don't ask for much, Bud. Just that you take care of yourself, your sister and brother, and respect your mother and I."

Deft, clever fingers swiped against Hiccup's fingers, away from the boy's hair. "When're you gonna retire?"

This caused Hiccup to chuckle and he tousled his son's hair again. "Never, if you don't keep your record clean. Valhalla almighty, MY dad's still around, isn't he?" He laughed again at the horrified expression at his son's face, as if the thought of his father sticking around for the rest of his life was the worst thing that could occur.

"Cripes. Okay, that's awful," the seven-year-old whispered. "Awful, awful, awful-" Before he could elaborate further, a loud, hearty bellow of a man's voice entered the atmosphere, causing him to perk up with excitement. "Grandpa's home!" He exclaimed jovially. "Finally!"

Hiccup couldn't resist the urge to roll his emerald eyes when his son didn't stick around to wait for permission to leave, and instead ran downstairs to meet his senior, who sounds just as ecstatic to see him. Hiccup grinned and shook his head as he listened to his father and his grandson converse and goof off, some things he wished he could have done with his father as a child...and some things he could do with his own children on a regular basis.

And then there was the clattering of fire pokers and Astrid was scolding one or both or all of the children.

...Kids were impossible sometimes. Oh, forget it. They were nearly impossible all of the time, and that precious time of his was slowly eroded on all sides once he adapted to the daily routine of fatherhood. Flights with Toothless, he realized, had come to an abrupt halt, which angered the reptile and saddened the both of them-until Toothless remembered that he had his own fathering to tend to. And with the handy tail rig Hiccup had built him, he could fly alone as he pleased.

Trips to the forge to work on constructing ideas also came a stop, which was a rather personal blow to Hiccup, because forging was something he knew he could do and was good at it. The flight suit idea came around and floated about his mind, but he simply couldn't get around to it. Perhaps when the children were older and could take better care of themselves...

Hiccup sighed and leaned back on the bed, staring at his frosty breath evaporating in the air. He frowned and felt about the small bed he had built (with Gobber's help) for his three children that was now squeezed into the corner, because some villagers had a theory that heat could be trapped in edgy spaces?

It was getting cramped and his family was only growing. Astrid was going to birth them another child within a matter of months and he would be a father of four. Soon, they would have to add an additional room to the house since it was a lot of trouble to build another house entirely.

Thinking about Astrid's current pregnancy caused his mind to drift back to the first. Now he could laugh at his fourteen-year-old clueless self as he tried to provide for not only his partner but their child as well, and how he handled hectic situation after hectic situation. He remembered sprinting out the doors of the Great Hall as soon as they opened for everyone to return home. He had ignored the cold as he stumbled into the Forge, determined to craft a cradle for his son. When he brought it home the following week, he was sheepish to realize that it would remain unused for the entirety of the winter, as his son would always sleep between the warmth of his parents' forms in their own bed. What. A. Winter.

...

_Years before…_

_Although the storms of Devastating Winter had lessened, they continued to barrage with what little strength they had left upon the Northern waters. To preserve warmth, the villagers had thought ahead and preserved woodpiles for their furnaces inside their homes rather than outside, so that way the wood would be much safer to retrieve for future crisis. Stoick especially made certain that enough supplies were stored within his abode, since it was usually unclear when a storm would hit and how many days and nights they would be stuck inside._

_Food, although much was stored for Devastating Winter, became scarce as usual. But the ice and snow had done a significant amount of damage to the farm animals' nourishment as well. Practically everything was frozen over and inedible even if thawed out, which was impossible at the time. _

_They managed to survive the first two weeks comfortably because Stoick was able to supplement their food supplies with food he obtained from the local traders, who often traveled to the Scandinavian Archipelago in their warm, foreign furs to delegate things to be traded and sold to those needy enough. These prices tended to be high, but nourishment was worth a few silver coins if one's life was constantly on the line._

_But for those who could not afford such delicacies, they became desperate. During an empty week where the lesser of the villagers had little to eat, Not-So-Silent Sven surprised everyone by killing and eating his livestock, including a newborn calf and lamb, leaving the bones and hoofs on the ground. _

_Similar remains were found on another farm, belonging to Bucket and Mulch, but like their masters, the animals were starving, and their fatless meat offered little nourishment anyway. People couldn't find it within themselves to chastise the men. Who could? They understood what it was like to be hungry, and if a fine slab of meat is just waiting for lancing... Well..._

_Among everyone else, Hiccup's family was the lucky one. After all, having royal blood within the family can have its charms. They were among the few that were able to trade without worrying about enumeration. It guilted Astrid that she was able to live on without a hint of starvation, but Stoick told her otherwise._

_The winter downed everyone's spirits. The cheer of Snoggletog had passed. The dragons had yet to return from their nesting ground (understandably so with the weather conditions of Berk). Everything seemed to char._

_One particularly freezing day, Hiccup hiked diligently through the snow, wrapped in more furs than usual to prevent the cold from seeping in. The sky was ash-grey, as it always was this time of year, and the wind stung his eyes and peeling face. _

"You know, I've had bad winters," _he thought to himself grumpily as he reached the forge. _"But this is beginning to worsen_."_

_"Oi! Get over here, lad, and help stock the hearth," a rather pale-looking Gobber ordered, beckoning the boy over with his book hand. Hiccup complied immediately, escaping the cold through the shelter of a much toastier forge. _

_"Et's freezing out there!" Gobber shivered, rubbing his numb arms with his one good hand as Hiccup finally entered. "Looks as if Jokul's havin' himself a party, eh?"_

_"You have the right idea, Gobber," Hiccup assured the man, removing his outer heaviest furs and hanging them on a peg near the door before joining the man. It was then when he noticed with impending concern his boss's state. Pale skin, dark bags under the eyes, crimson nose and ears. "You alright there?" He queried, leaning forward to get a better look. "You look really under the weather..."_

_Gobber tried waved away his apprentice's concern. "Oh, come now. Th' only time Ah ever get sick is to die-*COUGH COUGH*" Hiccup, appalled, reared back to shield his face with his arms from the contagious germs. Once he was in the clear, he cautiously lowered them and frowned._

_"Oookay, well, don't die and...why don't-why don't you take a seat," Hiccup advised, gently taking the worn man's arm and leading him to a small stool. _

_Gobber naturally objected. "Odin's beard, Hiccup," he groaned, "Ah'm...fine...Ah-...ACHOO!" He sniffed and stiffened defensively when Hiccup gave him a look. "What?" He sniffed. Hiccup just stared until the man broke beneath it. "...Fine," he grumped. "Ah'll take a rest. Just work on th' cradle; Ah won't get in yer way."_

_The boy gave a half-smile of relief and rubbed the back of his neck. "That wasn't really a concern of mine, whether you would quote-unquote "stand in my way"."_

_Gobber shrugged, yawning as he did. "Well, Ah'm off t' take a nap then," he mumbled, snatching his fur coat from a peg on the wall. "Now ye be careful in here by yerself, lad. Don't freeze, don't burn, don't leave any of the iron swords near the entrance 'cause those'll rust, and don't overwork yerself! The last thing yeh want is to catch an illness," he reminded the boy as he disappeared into the swirling white. _"Goodbye_!"_

_"Farewell!" Hiccup waved. "Get well soon!" With the hefty man gone and the Forge to himself, Hiccup immediately got to work. After sanding the entirety of the area down, all he needed to do now was add the finishing touches to the cradle. After that, he would be done, and his baby would have a comfortable place to sleep._

_He grinned, tracing his fingertips against the tiny dragons carved into the legs of the cradle, picturing the elegance of the finished project when they were painted. He knew Astrid would like it, but the same couldn't be said for his son, who loved to snuggle in the warmth between his parents during the frigid winter nights. He would most likely have a tough time adjusting to the separation and the foreign fabrics that could never replace the comfort of his mother and father, no matter how soft and comfy they were._

_Hiccup's smile faded at the thought. "Sorry, Bud," he sighed as he collected his paints. "It's just a part of life you learn to appreciate, just like how I learned to appreciate you when YOU came into my life." Odd comparison, but nonetheless._

_He shook the notions away, and soon he was painting away, humming an Irish limerick that Trader Johan had taught him. _

"There was an Old Man with a beard," _he hummed,_

"Who said, 'It is just as I feared!

Two Owls and a Hen, Four Larks and a Wren,

Have all built their nests in my beard!"

_He snorted in spite of himself and almost spoiled his paint. That last part always cracked him up no matter who said or sung it. From then on, he worked through the day, only stopping a few times to check on his wife and child. It wasn't long before the cradle was completed, Gobber returned looking fresher. The soft glow of the hearth never dimmed, burning on._

_"That's quite the piece," Astrid had commented when Hiccup and his father had transported the equipment to the loft. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, nursing her baby when they had entered. "Very colorful."_

_"And secure," Hiccup added with a smile as he helped gently place it in the corner of the room. "Well, I hope he likes it. I'm gonna layer plenty of furs on the base with this baby so he'll be as comfortable as he'll ever be."_

_Stoick sucked in a breath and he looked on in amusement. "Ah think yeh've got to consider a few other things as well," he smirked, firmly patting the cradle. "One being how long that kid's goin' to keep ye two up at night."_

_Astrid rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" _

_Stoick let out an abrupt guffaw. "Trust me," came his hooted reply, "the moment he's separated from his mommy and daddy, screams are goin' to fill the house."_

_Hiccup rolled his eyes as Astrid groaned. He had figured this already, and he was mentally prepared to endure it. "I can tolerate noise just fine," he pronounced, and when his father gazed at him in amusement, he sassed, "and don't act like you won't hear it. You're going to suffer just as much as we will. ...Why are you laughing?"_

_Stoick paused his cackling and grinned. "Because the one thing I hated most when yeh were a baby is how much yeh screamed at night," he explained. "I remember cursing Loki, tugging out mah beard, and praying that you'd experience the same kind of torture I had to endure."_

_Hiccup's left eye twitched and Astrid held back a snort. "Thank you, for summing that up," he muttered._

_"Anytime. Well, Ah think Ah'm done here." Stoick turned to go, but then whipped around one final time. "Oh, and TWO: yeh might want to purchase earplugs."_

_Hiccup groaned, seriously considering throwing a pillow at his dad._

_"Yes. Um... Goodbye." The man gave a curt nod, shot one more smirk at his son, and left the room. _

_Hiccup made a face as soon as Stoick's back was turned and took a seat next to Astrid on the bed. "That was pleasant to listen to," she casually intoned. "He's quite the character."_

_"Him?" The boy sighed, running his fingers through his auburn hair. "Yeah, sorry. The guy was just teasing us. I know what Hiccup's gonna do the second we put him in the cradle."_

"_Are you ready to endure it?" Astrid asked, sounding rather skeptical._

_"Of course." He studied her. "Are _you_?"_

_"...Sure. I put up with a lot of things. …Although… I AM sensitive to loud noises."_

_"Well, aren't we a lucky bunch."_

_Stoick wasn't exaggerating about the noise. _

_Later that night, Hiccup and Astrid were just settling, having eaten dinner, changed into their nightgowns. The baby had been cleaned and fed and was sleepier than he had ever been after a day of crawling and exploring the floor. _

"Who knows?_" The male teenager thought as he carried his son to the new cradle_. "Maybe he's gotten so tired he'll sleep through the night." _"Alright, Bud, time for bed," he whispered to the drowsy child. "You're gonna sleep here tonight, see? Yeah, isn't this nice? …New cradle, nice soft, fuzzy furs… I think you'll find this very comfortable."_

_Hiccup IV let out a tired baby gurgle and wriggled around a bit as soon as his father placed him atop the soft pile of furs. It confused him as to why his mother hadn't embraced him in her toned, warm arms yet. He squirmed around a bit, and when he couldn't locate either of his parents by his side, he opened his emerald eyes, trying to see where they had gone. _

"Oh, THERE you are!_" He seemed to say, letting out a cute babble. After absorbing the new surroundings, he blinked in confusion up at the older Viking, as if to say,_ "This is nice, but where are YOU sleeping?" _Hiccup grinned proudly and gave his son a goodnight kiss to the forehead. _

_"'__Night, Bud," he murmured, quietly slinking away to his own bed, where Astrid was waiting in anticipation. He quickly crawled in with her and together, they watched the cradle where it stood in the corner, and that's when the baby began to whimper._

_"__Aaaaannnd the torture begins," Astrid sighed, pulling the wool blanket up to cover her face._

_Hiccup frowned. It wasn't THAT bad, save for a few whimpers here and there. "He's just confused," he assured her. "He thinks we left him."_

_At the sound of his father's voice, the whines quieted some, but then escalated exponentially when the teenagers silenced themselves. It continued on for several minutes until it augmented to full-out wailing. One would think that the poor infant was being tortured, not the parents._

_Hiccup groaned and shoved his face into the pillow when the noise refused to refute. "Your dad wasn't kidding," Astrid growled grouchily, plugging up her ears with her index fingers. _

_"__No he wasn't," Hiccup agreed stiffly. "When sleep becomes a luxury, you know we've got it bad."_

_"Then what should we do?" The girl asked._

_"Simple. We just have to wait him out. He's gotta go t' sleep sometime." While this seemed like a fine plan at the beginning, after two hours when the screams hadn't stopped, Hiccup began to regret EVERYTHING._

"Maybe I should just check on him," _he thought, entirely frazzled and irritated by this point after trying to block the noise from his ears but failing every time._ "Once he sees me, he'll calm down and MAYBE he'll go to sleep." _He whispered his plan to Astrid, who was honestly beyond caring at that time._

_"Ugh, please shut him up," she complained. "He sounds like a dying terrible-terror."_

_With a sleepy yawn, the boy stepped out of the warm recess of his bed and stumbled awkwardly over to the cradle where his son was sobbing. _

_The moment his position was disclosed, the baby boy's cries instantly quieted and he perked as if to say_, "Hop in! There's plenty of room!"

_There was, but instead, Hiccup stood by the cradle and let his son absorb his presence so that when he walked away, he might be serene enough to fall asleep. He let his hand dangle in the cradle, where his son grabbed his callused fingers with his own tiny ones and sucked on them messily. _

_After a few minutes, Hiccup sighed and whispered, "Calmed down?"_ _The baby babbled and Hiccup nodded with a fatigued yawn. "I'll take that as a yes. Man, for a little guy, you sure are loud."_

_Obscuring his face from his son's view, Hiccup slowly backed away and waited for a moment. A total of seven seconds passed before his son began to whine again. This caused him to reappear at the bedside, and his son instantly stopped crying. Hiccup frowned at the baby, who merely blinked, looking all innocent as he suckled on his fingers._

_"__Seriously?!" He whispered in frustration, ready to tear his hair out. "Are you really going to do this?"_

_They repeated the exercise several more times and each one ended in the baby crying for his daddy to return. At a pace like that, Hiccup was certain that he would never fall asleep. Never…fall…asleep._

_When Astrid awoke the next morning, she was surprised to find that her husband was absent from his side of the bed. She frowned and sat up, stretching out her exhausted muscles. "That was awful," she mumbled almost incoherently. "I couldn't have had more than a few hours of sleep. ...May...Maybe Hiccup went to sleep downstairs." She considered this for a moment. "Jerk."_

_Never mind him. She had things to do. With a loud yawn, the girl padded across the chilly wooden floorboards in her bare feet and came across the cradle, which beheld a peculiar sight. _

_It was a rather disheveled looking Hiccup, scrunched into the fetal position by the small space the cradle had to offer, curled protectively around his small son, who clutched at the drawstrings of his tunic with his tiny fingers. Astrid held in a chuff by slapping a hand over her mouth. _

_He must have given up in the middle of the night to submit to his baby's cries. In a way, no matter how goofy it seemed, it was a touching gesture. On the other hand..._

_"I thought you could endure it, Hiccup," she snickered quietly to herself._

_Later that morning when the couple trudged downstairs to join Stoick for breakfast, he immediately spotted the dark circles under their eyes and smirked knowingly as they sat down._

_"Not. A. Word." Hiccup warned as he covered his head with arms._

_Stoick said nothing. He just took a sip from his mug and shared a knowing look with Astrid._

_..._

_The day of the dragon's return was certainly one to remember. It was an oddly calm day, with clouds but no storm, and it seemed like a day that everyone could appreciate._

_Drawn by the calm whether like moths would to light, the villagers all streamed out of their homes, stretching lazy limbs, blinking into the light, rubbing freezing appendages, and taking a look around to see what tasks could be done before the era of peace ended._

_Soon, it was all hustle and bustle like it always was before and after Devastating Winter. Since everyone had been cooped up for so long, work had fallen behind and the island was in shambles. Not to mention that the grand majority of the villagers either were sick, moody, or claustrophobic._

_The twins, who absolutely hated cramped spaces were a fine example of this; it wasn't long before they were releasing their pent-up hijinks and tomfoolery, much to the dismay of, well, everyone. Thankfully, Stoick thought fast and assigned them to tile-repairing to keep them out of the way, even though it was inevitable that more tiles would end up in the ocean than on the roofs._

_Speaking of damages, the storms had torn quite mercilessly at the port houses, leaving them primarily bare of carved exterior decoration, with only a few stragglers remaining. The barn in which the animals had been cooped up in took a pretty big hit and was practically in shambles. The repairmen immediately got to work, transporting the animals into assigned stables. Oddly enough, the animals didn't seem to mind. In fact, they were more than gracious that their area was at last being aired out._

_The storms hadn't only left physical exhaustion on the Vikings, but mental exhaustion as well. Especially those who had owned dragons. The storms were most likely the cause of their reptilian counterparts' delayed return. _

_Hiccup was one of the mentally exhausted that buried his or her grief in work. He thanked the Gods that he had his apprenticeship at the forge and his family to take care of so that he was distracted from a tragic loss._

_It had been weeks, and the dragons had yet to return, Hiccup was thinking to himself as he fretfully pounded away at a blunt axe. When would they come back? Would they EVER come back? They would, he would always insist when asked by whomever. But after so much time had passed, he was beginning to doubt._

_"It's possible," Hiccup debated, as he stared out into the horizon where the world ended, "that the dragons are delayed due a natural occurrence. It's possible that they want to come back and they mean to...but something is preventing them." He wiped his brow as sweat began to trickle down his forehead. Man, he was out of it. He never wanted to see the inside of his home again._

_The rest of the morning went on without too much disturbance. The weather remained serene, and everyone was slowly but surely departing from their cocoons to return as functional members of their society._

_Until..._

_"HICCUP !" _

_Startled, the auburn-haired boy jerked up from his work to spot his cousin galloping towards him at top speed. But it wasn't the sheer amount of intensity that grappled his concern. What did was the white-faced look of terror overtaking the usually snarkiness of Snotlout's complexion. That could only mean one thing and Hiccup was determined to get answers._

_"Whoa! Whoawhoawhoa, slow down, Snotlout!" Hiccup ordered, grabbing his cousin's trembling shoulders. "What's going on?!"_

_To his shock, the burlier Viking forcefully wrenched out of his grip and yanked him up by his collar. Staring at the smaller boy through his wide, bloodshot eyes, Snotlout screamed, "SHE'S GONNA __**KILL ME!"**_

_"Huh?!" Hiccup winced with a yelp as his cousin dropped him to the floor. "OW! Wait-just slow down-!"_

_"NONONONO!" The boy shrieked, desperately digging around for a hiding place. Couldn't the other boy sense the peril he was in? "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! IT'S ASTRID!"_

_Astrid? Hiccup blanched, but it wasn't from shock. In all honesty, he might have anticipated this, but that didn't lessen the fear he had for his Viking counterpart. _

_Hiccup rushed to the entrance of the store and placed his hands on the countertop, hastily surveying the plaza to make sure the coast was clear. "W-Well, where IS she?" He cried, because he had technically kept the secret from her when they had returned home. "Was she behind you when you ran into me?"_

_"I think I'd be dead by now if that were the case!" Snotlout barked._

_"Well I-I don't know!" Hiccup protested angrily. "You gotta help me out here, 'cause I don't see her!"_

_"__**That's just what she wants you to think**__!" Snotlout hissed from where he had successfully found a place to take refuge: underneath a desk._

_Hiccup rolled his eyes and chuckled nervously, trying to veil his own fear for his cousin's sake. "I don't suppose she was mad...?"_

_"Mad? Hahaha," Snotlout cackled hysterically, panic and anxiety filling him to the brim. "That would be a major FIELD DAY compared to what this chick is on."_

_Hiccup spluttered for a moment before getting to the point. "Well, what on Berk did you tell her?"_

_"Specifically?"_

_"YES!"_

_Snotlout gulped. "T-To be honest, heh, I might've made it sound a lot worse than it did. I might've mentioned a-a few _personal_ things and I _may_ have had a sword-ho attitude. That's all you need to know."_

_Hiccup shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself, try not to imagine the awkwardly dangerous confrontation between his cousin and wife. "May Thor be with you," he weakly prayed, "and may Freyja soothe her temper so that she may not break your bones."_

_"Thanks man." Snotlout shivered involuntarily. "Hey, can you promise me something?"_

_Hiccup smiled weakly. "Anything."_

_Snotlout sniffed. "If I die, make sure that I get a bigger pyre than Fishlegs, okay?"_

_"...Okay."_

_"Okay. Good."_

_"..."_

_"Oh, and make sure Hookfang is the one that lights it...if he ever comes back," Snotlout trailed._

_"Um... I'll-I'll make sure of it, S-Snotlout," Hiccup promised with uncertainty. "Say... How far behind did you say she-?"_

_"__**HICCUP**__!" Oh, Gods. Hearing the familiar shout of the Viking shield-maiden, Snotlout let out a terrified squeak and curled himself into a tiny ball beneath the desk, daring not to breathe while Hiccup put on his best smile as his furious wife approached with an axe in hand. _

_Oh boy. Did she ever look furious. Hiccup did his best not to look suspicious under the intimidating gaze of the girl, whose icy-blue eyes bore deeply into his emerald ones. "H-Hi, Astrid!" He stuttered anxiously. "Nice seeing you up and about with everyone else." _

_"Alright, cut the niceties!" She snarled. "Where is he?!"_

_"Where's who? Hiccup?" He glanced about. "Say, where…where IS Hiccup? I thought you had him." The blonde's left eye twitched and Hiccup felt his heart plummet to his stomach. Ugh, she hated when he did this: forefending to a detached subject to guard people that didn't deserve to be guarded. But for his sake and trepidation, she answered._

_"At the house. Taking a nap," She evenly responded, re-gripping her deadly weapon dauntingly. "The real question should concern Snotlout's whereabouts, and I'm certain you know the answer to THAT."_

_Hiccup felt his smile abate as his skin began to pale. And was it hotter in the forge than usual, or was it just him? "...Y-You think so?"_

_"I know so. This is the first place he allllllways goes to escape when Hookfang ain't around, and you have a habit of shielding the guilty. So tell me. Where. Is. He. Hiding?" Astrid fumed in enragement, her pearly white teeth gleaming dangerously as her pink lips pulled back into a raging sneer. _

_In truth, Hiccup was torn. Torn between obscuring his cousin from Astrid's wrath and allowing his life to exceed another day, OR disclosing his hiding place and consenting her take justice into her own hands. At any another time in his life, perhaps Hiccup would have stepped aside without guilt and let the girl's lethal fists rain blows upon blows on his cousin without a care. But now... _

_Hiccup chewed on his bottom lip, contemplating his options. He knew very well for a fact that when Astrid was blinded by rage, she had the capability to kill anyone with her bare hands. He knew because he had a first-hand experience with her anger several instances in his lifetime-the first being when he dominated her in dragon training, the second when she found out she was pregnant, the third when she was giving birth to their son. _

_Because of that, he felt pity for the other boy shaking beneath his desk. The terms "Snotlout" and "cowardice" were habitually incongruous. They didn't match; they never did. Snotlout had always been a big brute of a bully, his arrogance and ego so large that if tangible, they would have stretch marks. If he felt fear, he would always mask it so that nobody could call him out on it. But now it was as if his bravado had stripped away entirely, leaving him helplessly pathetic._

_This fear that his cousin was currently experiencing had to be more extreme than anything Hiccup could have imagined. Because maybe it was more about what Astrid could physically do to harm him. _

_Maybe his fear was administered more toward the _internal_ end of the spectrum; the emotional end, the mental end. Maybe, this was about trust and how badly the lack of it could split apart so many people. _

_This was a momentous decision that had to be made, and now he knew what he was going to do, despite the consequences that may transcend. Hiccup decided right then and there, that Snotlout had suffered enough. _

_"Astrid," he contended, slowly tracing his finger over the splintery wood of the counter. "I-I think it's about time that we had a uh, talk."_

_"A talk?" Astrid scowled. "You seriously want to have a talk?"_

_"Ye-Yes. A talk," Hiccup confirmed, glancing behind his shoulder. "Just a talk, with no weapons." He gestured to her axe. "A talk that includes all THREE of us," he amplified so that Snotlout could hear._

_Astrid wanted to decline until Hiccup laid a persuading hand on her shoulder. "Please," he begged. "We all need this. The doors need to open."_

_The girl stared at him quizzically for a moment and recognized the desperate look in his eyes. It was the she let out a resigned sigh and leaned her axe against the wall of the forge. "...Fine," she harshly abided, tossing her blonde hair. "But he'd BETTER explain himself."_

_The couple waited patiently (Astrid anxiously) as Snotlout finally gained the courage to reappear and weakly approach the aforementioned angry girl and sentient Hiccup, who gripped the two by the arms. "It's the perfect time to talk," he sternly announced. "There's a giant wall between the three of us that we need to overcome."_

_Although both Astrid and Snotlout were resilient, Hiccup managed to pull up an extra stool and have the girl take a seat across from her trembling adversary. It took some time, like prying a clam open to reveal its contents, but eventually, the group opened up to each other and let the words flow. Together, they conversed, explained, admitted, confessed, yelled, cried, accused, and bits of emotions catapulted everywhere. The nut was being cracked open, and not just a little chip at a time, but a colossal chunk of debris that struck the three deep within their minds and hearts._

_Little by little, Snotlout opened up to Astrid and revealed things he hadn't even told Hiccup. About all the times he had intense debates with himself and his self-conscious had convinced him that he had gone insane. How at some points, the guilt and stress had eventually gotten him sick and he had to stay indoors for days. How he constantly struggled between saving his skin and confessing to Stoick. How he couldn't trust anyone, not even his father, to confide to, and in the moment, he had ended up making an even hastier move by revealing his crimes to Gustav (who by that time had forgotten or moved on)._

_And slowly, Astrid began to understand Snotlout's side of the story. How jealousy had feared it's ugly head into his life and caused him to make ugly, rash decisions that decided the fate of her own. She found herself to understand because she knew what it was like to make hasty mistakes through a fit of anger, and afterward, she would regret whatever she did. She just hadn't realized that his case would be this extreme. In truth, she too began to feel pity toward the unusually broken boy. It turned out that she had more in common with him than she realized._

_"Snotlout," she started after he had finally finished his story. She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. "...I-I... You know what? I'm actually kinda impressed that you managed to pull yourself together after being torn apart for so long."_

_Both Snotlout and Hiccup released their breath, which they hadn't realized they had been holding in the time awaiting her response. And her response, to their relief, wasn't a fist to the face or a hidden knife to the gut. It was sincere, albeit forced, but it was a start. A good start._

_Then Hiccup had to explain why he didn't inform Astrid of Snotlout's scheme the moment he had been enlightened on the matter. The truth was, he explained, he didn't want to be the one to tell Astrid. He expected Snotlout to step up and tell her the way he had told Hiccup. And he had...eventually...but perhaps his cockiness had gotten in the way yet again. Who knew what sort of unnecessary comment he threw into his confession?_

_"And that," Hiccup concluded, earning a grateful smile from his cousin, "Is the gist of it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Astrid. I hope you're not too mad."_

_"Oh, I'm mad," Astrid confirmed with a touch of relish, "but not at you." _

_Hiccup smiled in relief and then prodded, "Um, Snotlout? Is there anything else you'd like to say?"_

_The boy in question warily bit the inside of his cheek, gazing fearfully at the impatient girl, whose arms were crossed and eyes were narrowing expectantly. He took a deep breath and straightened his posture to compose a bit of dignity. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess I do. Uh, Astrid?" He mumbled awkwardly, mustering the tiny bit of courage left within him to look her straight in the eyes. "Astrid, I get that what you heard from me today was definitely NOT what you'd ever wanna hear from me. Ever." Hiccup nodded in spite of himself. "And I also know that you really want to kill me, which I don't blame you for wanting to. And as much as it kills me to say it, you deserve an-...an apology fr-from me. Soooo...yeah, I'm sorry. Really I am."_

_Astrid pursed her lips as a tense Snotlout awaited her response. "Okay, you know what?" The blonde Viking deeply inhaled and stole a glance at Hiccup, who provided her with an encouraging nod. He wanted her to reconcile just as much as Snotlout did. "I just want you to know that-ahem," she squirmed uncomfortably, "-that I accept your apology and...ugh...that I forgive you too, okay?"_

_It was evident with the way that she was shifting and avoiding eye contact, that she was NOT big on apologies, much less forgiveness, and this conundrum was no exception. "I don't know how long it's gonna take for me to move on from this, considering that I have a kid to take care of now, but...you're not gonna die, okay?"_

_Snotlout swallowed hard and managed to muster up a tiny grin through his uneasiness. "Not today, anyway?" He chuckled nervously._

_Astrid stifled a snort at his crack and composed herself. "Not today," she promised with a solemn smile, and stuck out her callused hand. "Truce?"_

_Snotlout stared at the appendage for a moment, almost involuntarily rearing back with caution, but he remembered that Hiccup's presence would probably prevent her killing streak from unleashing, so...he took her hand within his larger one and gave it a firm shake, sealing the deal._

_"Truce," he agreed, and Hiccup breathed a large sigh of relief, ecstatic that after so much time, so much anticipation, this entire mess was finally over._

_Out of giddiness, he took them both by the shoulders, catching them both by surprise. "Okay! Soooo, we're good? We're all friends again? No more-no more qualms, no more fights or name-calling or cat-calling?"_

_"Cat-calling? ...Let's not get ahead of ourselves," came Astrid's tired response, stealing a glare at Snotlout. _

_Snotlout groaned dramatically. "Oh, come ON!" He started. "I _just_ said I was sorry!_

_"Hey!" The girl shouted, clenching his face between her fingers. "You got a lotta work to do before you can ever gain my trust again. I've got every reason-"_

_"GUYS, GUYS!" Hiccup suddenly shouted, wedging himself between the two. "Can we _please_ enjoy the peace while we can?! I'm gonna get grey hairs if you keep this up." His shout caught them both by surprise, and the shock was just enough to get them to comply, albeit grudgingly._

_"__**You**__ will?" Snotlout muttered, tenderly massaging his face. "This has aged me internally about twenty years. If I don't die from battle or natural causes first, you guys are gonna lead me to my death."_

_"__I plan to," Astrid grumbled._

_"Duly noted, Snotlout," Hiccup sighed, turning his back to the entrance of the forge. "Anything else?"_

_For a moment, Snotlout just glared at him indignantly, but then an unreadable expression suddenly overtook his face. "...A-Actually...yes!" Hiccup squinted in confusion._

_"You alright there?" He carefully inquired._

_Snotlout just nodded mutely and made eye contact with Astrid. "Uhhh...Hiccup?" The girl abruptly spoke up, the same expression befalling her face as she began to tug roughly at his shoulder. "Look."_

_"W-What?!" Hiccup snapped, jerking away. "Why are you guys acting so weird?!"_

_Snotlout couldn't conceal his excitement any longer than Astrid could. "Dude," he cackled, pointing over his cousin's shoulder, "behind you!" Hiccup shook his head a bit, convinced that SOMEHOW, Snotlout was going to unleash some sort of prank and Astrid was giving him a warning. ...But she was grinning like a fool, so what was going on?_

_"There'd better not be a bucket of yak dung about to fall on my head," Hiccup squeaked. Wide eyed and nervous, he slowly rotated himself, expecting to meet a flourish of snow, only to embrace the being he'd been yearning to reunite with for weeks. "__**TOOTHLESS**__?!" He shrieked in surprise, falling backward into a barrel filled with bolas as the Nightfury pounced at him. _

_Astrid couldn't hold in her laughter any longer and doubled over along with Snotlout as the over-excited reptile entangled Hiccup with the bolas as he lapped and snuffed and battered the astounding Viking with his paws and tongue. "He-He sure missed you!" She laughed._

_"GAAH! WHAT THE FRIGG?!" Hiccup yelped, his mind having a difficult time processing the unlikely fact his best friend had at last returned. "Wha-? Is that-Is that really you, Bud?"_

_Toothless finally sat back on his haunches, trembling rapidly due to over-excitement, and warbled happily as his rider detangled himself from the bolas. "You-! You crazy lizard!" Hiccup yelled, although he couldn't suppress the hint of joy radiating in his tone. "You almost gave me a heart-attack!"_

_Toothless let out a dragony-chortle and lapped affectionately at the boy's face. "Eugh! Okay-Okay, you're forgiven! You're forgiven!" Hiccup gasped, grabbing at the Nightfury's sensory folds to steady himself. "Not you two," he pretended to glare at Astrid in Snotlout, who were trying to hold in their laughter._

_"Us?" Snotlout asked in false astonishment. "You're kidding; we didn't do NOTHIN'!"_

_"That's a double-negative," Astrid sang under her breath with a smirk. She glanced to the freezing outdoors where something blue and golden caught her eye. She smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me," she ran to the entrance to the forge and gave a wave, "there's a certain Deadly Nadder that I need to feed."_

_Snotlout blinked and shook his head in disbelief. "Wait, Toothless isn't the only one?" He and Hiccup locked gazes and he began to trip with excitement. Without stalling, Snotlout was out of the Forge, joyfully shrieking his beloved dragon's name. _

_"Hookfang! HOOKFANG!"_

_Hiccup followed suit, and that's when he saw the entirety of the village all reuniting with their reptilian companions. It was official. Through wind, rain, and snow, the dragons had somehow managed to make their way back home with their hatchlings in tow. It was a wonderful sight. The entire island seemed to have brightened and now everyone was celebrating. The Vkings hadn't been this happy for weeks!_

_Fishlegs literally tackled Meatlug the second she landed, squealing with joy. "Oh, there's my little prince-! ...Or princess," he corrected himself, eyeing the bundle of babies that leapt to her side. The same ones that had burst his house open when they had exploded. "That's fine! I have nothing against that! Congratulations, girl!"_

_"...Bit overdue, weren't you?" Hiccup chuckled to himself when Toothless nudged his torso. "Oh-! Hey! Where're you going, Bud?" The Nightfury had bounced over to where Astrid was embracing Stormfly, cooing and striking his scaly snout. "Oh, right!"_

_"Oh my goodness, Stormfly," the girl murmured happily, "I missed you so much!" _

_Hiccup grinned as his dragon playfully circled around his hatchlings, nipping their ears and spikes, nuzzling against tem, and finally curling up in a fit of excitement. It was all right now. It was going to be all right. The Vikings and the dragons would wait out the winter side-by-side now that they were finally home._

_..._

_It wasn't long before Hiccup first learned to crawl. When the storms at last began to lessen and the snow tinged pink with the budding flowers beneath. The air remained frigid as always for the nine months of its stay, and would be back once more when it hailed the other three. _

_But despite the cold's presence, spring came along and marked new beginnings, new life. And while the yaks birthed and chicks hatched, Astrid and Hiccup already had their own kin to tend to inside. With the patterns Hiccup had created, Astrid managed to sew seasonal attire for her baby, including a soft fur vest, a navy blue tunic, and little shoes to keep him from splintering and cold during those frigid months._

_It was midday and until then, Hiccup and Astrid had been having minor arguments over their child. Things like the "first word" and what it would be, when he would take his first steps, and if whether or not he could play with the hatchlings. _

_Now, Hiccup and Astrid sat on opposite sides of the room, on the furnace's left. Hiccup the Fourth sat in the center at equal distance between the two fourteen-year-olds in his little tunic, bow-legged as any toddler. He glanced back and forth between the two of them with wide, curious eyes as he sucked on his fingers. _

_"Who do you think he'll come to?" Astrid whispered, stilling herself as her baby's head whipped toward her._

_Hiccup sat cross legged and shrugged. "Hard to tell," he mused. "Maybe we should give some encouragements?" His son had always been of the smaller type, so an activity as simple as crawling applied to him a little later than most infants._

_"Nah, that'd be cheating. Just wait and let him decide."_

_Toothless watched from his resting place in the corner, confused as to what the humans were doing. His hatchlings were out eating breakfast with Stormfly, and he had decided to see what his rider did with his own young for fun._

_To his disappointment, all the humans did when he was around was groom, eat, and watch their young to see if it would do something interesting. And at times, it got tedious. Why couldn't they wrestle with their young? Why couldn't they play-bite? (He had tried that once with his rider's young, and got the blunt side of his rider's fists instead, which was unusual for him, so he never tried it again)_

"Do you need to stare?"_ The Nightfury wondered uncomfortably as the two's gazes penetrated the baby. _"You're makin ME squeamish! Enough!" _He warbled_.

_A shush from Hiccup caused him to groan. _"Zees eesn't fun," _he chuffed with boredom._ "Vhy don't you wrestle weeth it?"

_"Toothless, please!" Hiccup chastised, flipping his hand in the dragon's direction. Said dragon gave him a pointed stare before flopping his head back on the floor._

_The young child studied the raven dragon for a moment as the gears in his head whirred like crazy. And then it clicked. "Toofwesh!" He chirped while sucking on his fingers so that he was unintelligible. Astrid stared at him, her azure eyes wide with disbelief._

_"Did...Was that-? Did he just talk?!" She squealed within a hushed whisper. "He didn't say "mama", did he?"_

_Hiccup sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, no, Astrid. I believe he said...um..."_

_"Toowess!" The baby shrieked happily, crawling toward the lumbering reptile, bashing his tiny fists across its nose. Toothless stared at him, crossed his eyes, and stuck out his great pink tongue, causing the young boy to giggle. "Toofess!"_

_Hiccup grinned at the girl. "Hopefully...that answers your question?"_

_Astrid just glared. "Seriously?" She griped, although there was a hint of laughter in her voice. "It couldn't have been __**anything**__ else?"_

_"I suppose not. C'mere Hiccup!" The male gently beckoned his son. Hiccup stared back at him at the sound of his name. Although both mother and father made words of encouragement, the boy decided to remain still until one of them gave up and moved toward him instead._

_..._

Fathering a child is, for many, not difficult. But being a father is! It's the first and most important decision of fathers: to make a conscientious choice to be a father, and Astrid seemed to believe that he took that to heart, even though he thought different.

He waited in the dark for a while, his hands curled up on the edge of the bed, just listening. His son... His son had quite the personality. He hadn't exactly an interest in blacksmithing, but the weapons themselves have captivated his short attention span like nothing else could. Which was great if one was a Viking, but that coupled with his extremely short temper caused some...incidents.

_"Alright class," Hiccup announced, fixed in the center of the killing arena, with several village kids on either side of him, ranging from ages five to ten. A competition was currently in session, between two teams. Hiccup stood before a stone slab of a board with runic tally points scribbled upon it with charcoal. "Team Magnus," he announced, "this one's for you: what is the shot limit of a Deadly Fury?"_

_The children glanced at each other and conversed amongst themselves for a moment before judging forward their best player, Sven. "Umm..." The boy mumbled. "I can't say I know, sir."_

_On the other end of the spectrum, Hiccup the Fourth let loose a snicker. "I think you'd have to be the owner of one to know." He whispered, causing his own teammates to shoot each other confident smiles. Hiccup had a Deadly Fury, the unholy offspring of quills, lightning, toxins, and death itself. They were sure to win this tiebreaker._

_Unfortunately for the heir, his comment had not gone unnoticed, and his father gave him a stern glare. "Hiccup, be nice or I'll confiscate half of your points," he warned, clasping his fingers tightly around the clipboard he held. "Okay, give up?" Sven shrugged in embarrassment._

_"Alright, Team..." He closed his eyes and sighed, "Huffleravenslythindoore. You're up." _

_While the team of young children quietly debated amongst themselves of what the answer might be, a seven-year-old Hiccup slammed his tiny half-sleeved fists down upon the wooden table, staring down the other team's participants with his piercing emerald eyes. The surrounding Vikings leaned back involuntary at his intensity. _

_"...SSSSSSeven." He literally hissed for a reason none of which could comprehend. He then straightened and crossed his lithe arms with an arrogant little smirk, undoubtedly confident that his answer was unanimous._

_"Eh," Hiccup buzzed, causing everyone to jolt in surprise. They had expected the very owner of a Deadly Fury would answer correctly. Had he done it on purpose? Nah, Hiccup was practically obsessed with competition, and winning even more so. _

_"You were almost right," he imparted. "The correct answer is eight. Two points."_

_"What?" The scarlet-haired boy gasped, the front of his helmet involuntarily sliding down his shocked, freckled face. The rest of the team groaned in disappointment. "I could have sworn..."_

_The other team didn't bother to hide their triumphant little giggles. "So much for him," one boy under the name of Sven, murmured to his one of the boys, Clamlegs, a close friend of Hiccup's._

_Hiccup prayed that his son hadn't perceived the mocking animadversion Sven had emulated, but the sneer on his boy's face told him otherwise, and at that, his heart plummeted to his stomach. Any hope of having a trouble-free day had pretty much evaporated. Hoping to settle the dispute before things became too hectic for his tastes, the father gave a warning glance to both children. "That's enough, Sven. Hiccup, I don't want to hear a word coming out of your mouth unless it's kind. Savvy? Now, moving on-"_

_Completely ignoring his father's requests, almost as if he hadn't heard him at all, Hiccup growled. "What do you know?" The seven-year-old barked before the twenty-one-year-old could even finish his sentence. Hiccup groaned and face-palmed. "You wouldn't know the shot limit of a Deadly Fury if it sauntered up and shot you in the mug! And don't even get me started on your own intellect!"_

_Team Huffleravenslythindoore all snickered behind their little hands at the profoundness of their star competitor. It was always interesting to have a radical player on the team with the competitiveness of a Terror seeking a fish from a group. Entertaining, to say the least._

_Although Sven had expected this type of reaction from his rival player, he wasn't about to be undignified within firing back in return. "Oh yeah?" He sneered, slamming his large hands upon the wooden table. _

_"That's right!" Hiccup grinned, his helmet sliding further over his face so that parts of his eyes were obscured by shadow._

_"Yeah?!"_

_"What part of 'that's right' don't you understand?"_

_"Kids!" Hiccup barked, stepping forward between either of the sides to cast his arms out. "That is enough!"_

_Although most of the players on either side shrunk back under the heir's command, the fighting children paid no attention to him. _

_"Intellect won't get you anywhere in a fight unless you're a coward. And at least I have the capability of lifting a sword!" Sven spat, and his adversary's brows furrowed with rage. _

_If one thing irritated Hiccup beyond belief, it was that the sizes of his muscles didn't even come close to matching up with his aggressive spirit. He understood that he had been born small and sickly, so he tried to make up for it as best he could. _

_So his favorite weapon was his intellect and ferocious spats, but even that looked rather amusing in the eyes of the elders and experienced warriors. It was unfortunately comparable to that of a mouse trying to look intimidating. _

_"The only things your toothpick arms are good at," Sven went on, unaware of the fleeting danger, "are scrubbing the decks of our ships while us real Vikings go off pillaging-"_

_"YAAAAAAARRRGH!" Hiccup let out a truly monstrous scream that bounced around the stonewalls of the arena before Sven could insult him any further. _

_Surprising the witnesses of said medium, he dauntingly leapt over the table, sprinted past his shocked father, readied an __**axe**__ that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and begun to chase after a terrified Sven. _

_The children all squealed at the unexpected turn of events and Hiccup made a failed attempt to restore order. "Boys! Stop!" He screamed as they rushed past. He made an attempt to yank Sven up in the safety of his arms, but the boy had apparently decided that being hacked to pieces was more honorable than being saved by a parent, and avoided his grasp. _

_Hiccup dug his fingers into his scalp. "I said STOP!" They paid not attention and began to run in dizzying circles as a sympathetic contestant approached their instructor. Fishlegs' adopted son, Clamlegs._

_"It's alright, sir," Clamlegs sighed sympathetically, patting the young man's leg with his callused hand. He stared down at the eleven-year-old. "If the tables turn, they won't catch Hiccup. They do this all the time and they've only managed to catch him __**twice**__. Amazing, isn't it?"_

_Hiccup paled. "And, ah, what did they do to him?"_

_Clamlegs shrugged. "I can't say I know, sir," he truthfully replied, blinking rapidly through his seeing-lens. "They treed him both times and as far as I know, he wouldn't stop shouting and calling them names while he was up there. And when he refused to come down, they got frustrated with 'im and left."_

_"They just...left?"_

_Clamlegs thought for a moment, squinting his amber irises. "Well, yes, sir," he said, providing the father a momentary sense of relief before he added, "To return with a catapult to shoot him down of course, but by then he'd already gone, thankfully." Clamlegs grinned and sighed with relief, crossing his bony arms. "You should have seen him, sir. He was shouting and calling them every name in the scrolls. N-Not swear words... Just battle cry stuff. It's like he hasn't a cowardly bone in his body."_

_Hiccup sighed and shook his head. "That's actually one of his biggest flaws. But hey, I appreciate you telling me, Clamlegs. Thank you."_

_"Shhhhh!" The boy hissed through his buckteeth, flapping his nearly translucent hands around. He whipped around, his eyes wide and scared like he'd seen a ghost. "Don't tell Hiccup I told you what happened, okay?"_

_Hiccup stared at him. Clamlegs clearly lacked an admirable Viking-like physique with his awful posture, stick limbs, terrible squint, and asthma, but what could his son possible do to inflict pain upon him? "Why wouldn't-?"_

_"COME HERE AND FIGHT!" His son screeched as he and Sven sprinted past. "YOU THINK YOU CAN TRASH-TALK ME AND GET AWAY WITH IT, YA NUMBSKULLED BOTTOM-BRAINED IDIOT!"_

_Ah. Well. Clamlegs WOULD have to have concern about his eardrums._

_For a while it seemed that Hiccup was going to finally catch the runaway, but he stopped short upon realizing that the children on Team Magnus had spontaneously grouped together and were now pointing their own weapons at him, angry and riled._

_Although the scowl never left his face, Hiccup dropped his weapon and began running in the opposite direction. The next few minuets were complete pandemonium as they chased the scarlet-haired boy, who had abandoned the heavy weight of his axe to move quicker._

_Hiccup stood stock still for a moment as he watched his son sprint as fast as his skinny legs could carry him, leading his pursuers in tiring circles, all whilst shouting things like, "COME AND GET ME YOU SACKS OF DRAGON DUNG! YOU IDIOT LIMPETS! TELL LOKI I SAID, "HELLO TO YOU!' WHEN YOU DROP DEAD OF EXHAUSTION 'CAUSE YOU ARE NEVER GONNA CATCH ME!" Well, he supposed he could wait until the kids let off steam._

_Of course...that was always the case. Hiccup, small as he was, made up for it by his speed and agility, a valuable advantage if one were constantly being sought after by mortal enemies. _

_Now if only he could keep quiet... After all, the only thing motivating the chasers was the constant barrage of insults that flew out past the taunting lips like propane from a Monstrous Nightmare. If not for that, then the children might not have been so persistent to catch up with the boy and shove a Terror down his throat just to shut him up._

_It wasn't long before obstinacy ran out and the pursuers at last fell to their knees. As they gasped for air, Hiccup danced about them, still as energetic as ever. "Ha!" He gasped, quite out of breath from the rampant spree. "Not bad for a toothpick."_

_"No, not exactly," replied an extremely angry voice from behind, causing him to still for a moment._

_Just for a moment-before bolting to make his escape._

_Hiccup ignored his son's yowls of protest as he leaned down and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck before literally dragging him from the arena, past the group of horrified parents that had gathered to watch the show, and past his own father, who looked more than sympathetic but a touch amused. _

_Hiccup had the gall to blush in embarrassment as his son shrieked and tried to wrench away from his grip. He was as unrelenting as he had been in the arena and almost managed to get away if not for his helmet horns catching the sleeve of his father's sleeve, which held him in place._

_After the interminable drag home, Hiccup roughly wrenched the boy inside, causing him to stumble about before finding his footing. The man non-too-gently slammed the door shut, and the small abode was shrouded in darkness that only added to the intense situation._

_"Are you INSANE?!" The dismayed father had shouted, causing Tickles, one of the unfortunate Deadly Furies that had been sleeping at the stairs, to jolt awake and warble in fear. "What gave you the right idea to tease those children like that, huh?" He chastised. "Chasing them with an axe? Calling them names? Why can't you just let them be?!"_

_Hiccup the Fourth opened his mouth to retort, but then stopped to actually ponder over the inquire. But what his tantalizing comeback couldn't compare to his sincere thoughts. "...I dunno. You tell me."_

_"Oh-Oh, I'll tell you alright, smart aleck." Hiccup glared, and gestured wildly with his hands. "You insulted your classmates by calling them every name in the scrolls, threw an axe at Budwark-and in front of those children's __**parents**__ no less! Do you know how that makes you look? How that makes ME look? You embarrassed me in front of all those people! And now I can't teach at the academy because I'm wasting my time with you!"_

_It was then when the small boy rolled his emerald eyes. As always, his dad had an ego to protect. But what else was new? "Who cares?! It's nothing they haven't seen before!" He snorted, crossing his arms. It was clear that he was unafraid of his father and he had no qualms to show it._

_"Nothing they haven't-? That just adds to the-! Okay... Just..." Hiccup ran a hand through his auburn hair, desperately trying to keep his patience intact as he tried to reason with the child. "You're missing the point!"_

_"No, YOU are!" The young male snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at his father, causing him to flinch. "They were making fun of me and I fought back! Besides, Uncle Tuffnut said that a violent retaliation is the best way to defend yourself. So in retrospect, what did I do wrong?"_

_"Oh, my Thor... Not EVERYTHING the twins tell you are good ideas, Hiccup!" The man shouted. "They aren't sane!"_

_"Says YOU!" The boy screamed back with his octaves rising to match his father's notes of anger, his jade eyes burning amber with rage. "At least they talk to me! They don't care that I'm different from everyone else! They don't care that I'm "abnormally violent" or "sadistic"!" He enunciated with a mocking tone. _

_Hiccup slowly shook his head in disbelief. Something was wrong with his son. Normal children never talked like this. "Do you have any idea-?"_

_"NO!" The boy's shout reverberated off the walls, and his hands clenched into fists. His horned helmet continued to slide over his eyes, obscuring them from his father's view, and at that moment, he truly looked demonic. Tickles squeaked in fear once more and padded her way to hide behind the furnace. _

_"No, I don't! Because that idiot Sven called me a toothpick and you didn't even care! All you care about is me chipping away at your precious ego-"_

_"THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME!" The young adult interrupted with a volume he had no clue he was capable of yelling. "This is about YOUR behavior, and what we need to-no, what YOU need to do to keep it under control! I am sick of your behavior, Hiccup! SICK of it!" He punctuated each point with a wild gestured of his hands._

_"Well, ain't THAT just a pickled PEACH," the young male literally spat with contempt. Little did he know that __**THAT**__ was the final straw._

_Hiccup's hand seemed to move on its own, and it wasn't until after his palm had connected to his son's face that the red before his eyes began to fade away. He couldn't remember a time where he had been angrier than right then, not even eight years ago when his father went off to destroy the nest despite his warnings. Not even when Mildew had stirred ruckus after ruckus to complain about the dragons. Perhaps it was because his son not only refused to listen, but refused to act respectively toward authority, and it was all Hiccup could do to keep from screaming._

_He paused for a moment to observe his son, whom to his surprise, had only seemed to appear even stiffer and more defiant than before. His arms were glued to his sides, the white-knuckles of his hands complementing the light trembling of his tensed limbs. Though the hot, salty tears running down his now blotchy face, as well as a fine amount of snot and saliva, could tell another story._

_It was then he realized what he did. The stinging in his left hand... The garish red handprint on his son's right cheek... It was evident what had occurred while the world around him disparaged at that brief moment, and all he could see was fire._

_Now the world had dissolved into ash._

_"Don't you dare..." Hiccup intoned, his voice hoarse, "...speak to me with such disrespect." He paused for a moment to let it sink in. "You seem to forget who's in charge in this household. It's me. Not you. Me. And that means you have to treat me with respect or you'll be severely punished. Understand?"_

_Hiccup had said nothing at first, the effect of his father's backhand rendering him to a silent state. Until he spoke. "I...hate you."_

_Ironically to what had just occurred, it was like a slap to the face. Hiccup didn't realize he was sputtering out a "what?" before his beleaguered son repeated his heart-wrenching words. _

_"I HATE YOU!" He screamed, hot wet tears streaming down his blotchy face. A moment later and he was up the stairs and sobbing with Tickles hot on his heels, leaving Hiccup to contemplate his son's words in an emotion he could not place._

_... _

Hiccup shuddered at the memory and closed his weary eyes. That had been a horrible day for everyone. His son refused to speak to him for quite a while, and when he did eventually speak to him, it was to ask for his mother's whereabouts. And like the inexperienced, frazzled father that he was, Hiccup reciprocated the silent treatment and refused to speak even indirectly to his son.

For his own child to say that he hated him... Even if Astrid had assured him that all children went through a phase like that, it didn't help.

Astrid was the anchor of the family, and Hiccup knew it. Without her, the relationship with his son surely would have spiraled into nothingness. But determined to construct the verbal relationship Stoick never had with his son, she finally dragged the boys in by their ears and forced them to apologize to one another and seal it with a hug. Hiccup the Fourth seemed satisfied enough afterward, but Hiccup the Third felt...almost empty.

Perhaps it was because his wife needed to drag him into the room to stitch things up with his son, something he could have done well on his own if he tried. But he, the "cowardly selfish adult" he called himself with shame, didn't even try. Perhaps it was because that his son, Hiccup, was turning out to be more of a problem than he had anticipated. Sure, his father had to deal with a quiet, intelligent oddball, but now that silent oddball needed to deal with a demonic, uncouth boy with enough rage and fire within to steam the ocean.

Speaking of which...

"Hiccup!" Stoick's voice boomed throughout the abode like a Thunderdrum, and Hiccup curled up tighter. "Come on down, son! It's carb-loading night! Bread rolls, mutton, and potatoes for everyone!"

The man failed to suppress a chuckle as Sigrun groaned in disgust while his son cheered. While the rest of the family seemed to loathe them, he loved potatoes for unexplained reasons. Perhaps it was because Stoick liked them.

"We got a big race tomorrow, so you want to be fed!"

Hiccup sat up, a grin spreading over his face instantly. Finally, something exciting to look forward to. It had been a long time since he had flown Toothless and he was going to make the best of it.

...

**Author's Note: *throws down iPhone* I AM DONE. DONE. **

**21,128 words, 66 pages, and it took me...**

**DO!:!:!,:7&amp;/!,$:&amp;/sackajawea. Well Fanrats, I've got the plot down and I've got it all thought out. So yes... We're having a sequel. Cue the dramatic Star Wars music.**

**Dun-Dun-Dun-dun-dun-Duuuuuun! (I don't think that's right)**

***thunks head on desk* Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with sequels. But with the HTTYD sequel... Eh, it wasn't really my favorite. Yes, yes, I can smell the torches and pitchforks already. But I stand my ground. I guess it's mostly because of Valka and how I can't STAND her. I mean, she's cool and all, but I can't get over that she left her family and never came back. Oh, and how about that incredible complex and interesting villain, Drago Bloodfist? Yeah, 'cause HE was deep, right? As a tidal pool. As in NOT! **

**And who the heck names their child Drago BLOODfist? You're pretty much ****_leaning_**** his future toward evil if you name him something like that. I can't see a daycare center named "Bloodfist's Daycare".**

**Man. I'm heckling again. **

**Sorry. I shouldn't take out my frustration on any of my readers. But as my AP classes and my SAT boot camp weighs me down, I feel crummy. So if you could all leave an encouraging review if you can! And please follow and favorite, because nothing cheers me up than the sweet ding of my phone informing me that I've gotten another review. *sigh* I love that ding. **

**So please, do me a favor and leave a review! The more love, the better! And I promise to update quicker, because a something-month-long hiatus is too long a wait in my opinion. Now that I've got my account back, NOTHING can stop me now.**


	16. Inner Hel

**Author's Note: Hiya guyas! I'm dreadfully sorry about the tedious wait you've had to endure, but now I have moved past my writer's block and the full affect of the sequel is coming into full swing. Not to mention that I'm creating art corresponding to each chapter, and so are a few others who I've requested fanart from.**

**During the time of your wait, I was struggling to figure out where I wanted the story to go and now that I have it all planned out in my head, you will find in future chapters that it will differ greatly from the sequel that came out in 2014. There will be a physical struggle between different characters and it said different characters may or may not die in the process. In fact some major characters may not show up at all! Now, that does NOT mean that these characters will not EXSIST in this universe, it just means that they have died. ^^**

**THIS STORY HAS OVER 80,000 VIEWS! O: IF I CAN MAKE IT TO 100,000, I will draw the best story art this world will ever see! HUZZAH!**

**Well, I've rambled on long enough. Thank you all so much for the kind reviews. It makes my heart soar! I wish I could respond to them all, but alas, I have limited time. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise, unfortunately.**

**Chapter Sixteen: _Inner Hel_**

The residents of Berk were quite proud of their choices of sport, for not only did it engage a quantity of danger and life-threatening circumstances, but it drew people together. A common Viking liked nothing more than to watch other folks butt heads and romp around. And while most places had favorites like the hammer throw, or archery, the Vikings had...

"DRAGON RACING!" A man name Clausé announced off a leather parchment to a crowd that had gathered in the precinct. "The event will begin as soon as th' shadow on yer sundials are invisible!" Passerby's in the plaza nudged each other and grinned with anticipation. "Gather by the oaks to get the best view," the announcer advised with a smile and a bow. "See yeh then!"

Among numerous of the disbanding spectators were Hiccup the Fourth, Clamlegs, Sigmund, and Sigrun, who were all equally thrilled for the race, but for different reasons. Both the twins and Clamlegs yearned to see their families partake in the race and perhaps win, while Hiccup dreadfully wanted to contribute to the game himself by becoming a team member.

"This time," he insisted to his best friend, mischievously rubbing his palms together. "This time for _sure_!"

Clamlegs chuckled bitterly and shook his head. "If I may?" He inquired, causing Hiccup to stiffen. "Why can't you try to enjoy the race without barging your way in every time? You're never gonna convince your dad that you can race just by asking. It takes more than that to enter."

Paying attentively to the conversation, Sigrun nodded in agreement as she sucked her fingers. "Yeah, and you're too wittle," she giggled, causing Clamlegs to titter. "Too wittle t' race."

Hiccup flushed. "Am not," he asserted to the little girl. "I'll make a great racer!"

"Sure, but a great team player?" Clamlegs sucked in a whisk of air through his teeth and gave a comital shake. "yeah...I don't know about that..." Hiccup stared at him, a great bout of disbelief and betrayal etched upon his pale, prominent features. How dare he!?_ How dare he?!_ His scowl deepened. It was too late for him to stifle the daily anxiety from flooding his erratic nerves, so at that moment, Hiccup would have gladly taken a dagger and taught the other boy a lesson or two about keeping his unnecessary comments to himself. But he couldn't. It wasn't..._normal_, no matter how daily these thoughts of his occurred. Instead, he forced on a smile and punched his shoulder

"I could!" He insisted, albeit not all convincingly to his friend, who had no idea how close he was to being slaughtered. "Just you wait, buddy," he promised, laying a hand on Clamlegs's skinny shoulder. "Today, you're gonna witness me filching a black sheep!"

"Absolutely not."

"Oh, come on!" Hiccup groaned, tugging on his father's furry vest. "I'm getting better!"

"At not setting buildings on fire, that's true."

The boy's glare could have melted steel. "You said that last time!"

"I'm well aware," Hiccup the Third absentmindedly replied, briefly tweaking the gears on Toothless's tail.

The boy grimaced when the Nightfury chuffed and butted his head against his chest. He couldn't be denied his yearns again! Not when he had been working so hard to live up to the caliber of a good dragon-rider. "I'm getting better at landing and steering, Dad," he tried to persuade. "I promise if you let me play, I won't crash! Not even once! You'd be so proud of me!" He usually wouldn't resort to begging, but this was an immoderate context. "I know it isn't "Sockey"-safe," he admitted, "but I think I've got what it takes to play!"

Hiccup the Third disagreed, but he couldn't asphyxiate a wave of pride from splashing about his core at his son's enthusiasm for the sport. It made it all the more difficult to deny him access to a team spot. "Sorry buddy, but we've been over this," he reminded the boy with a small, sympathetic smile. "Dragon Racing is a pretty fierce competition, and everyone gets feisty if the score begins to deplete."

"Your point?" Hiccup snapped, his stomach growing queasy, for he knew deep down that his father was never going to comply with his deepest wishes. "Why is it that when somebody else gets angry, I can't participate? Why?" His heart was sinking, his mind beginning to go haywire. It did this commonly, almost as often as the homicidal, violent thoughts. It was queer as to how quickly he could get psyched up for all the wrong reasons. The anxiety... It was worsening as the years trickled by with him beginning to realize that he would never live up to anyone's expectations as a good child, or as a good heir. His worst enemy was himself. It was too much.

"My point is that it isn't safe and injuries happen," the young man recapped. "Need I remind you that your own mother broke her arm during our first race and had to drop out?"

"G-Yyyeah...I know!" The smaller Viking admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But that was a one-time thing!"

"Hiccup…" The father sighed and rubbed his forehead, almost in amusement as he took on a different tactic. "I _did_ sign you up for the class, but you dropped out after a week!"

"Because Uncle Fishlegs was so booooring," Hiccup whined, almost desperately. His eyes were growing hot and runny. _"Why why why why why why-!"_ "All he taught us were statistics and did most of our flying on dummies!"

The young man shrugged, partially unaware of the extent of his son's inner turmoil. "Well, if you don't want to take the class, by all means," he dismissed as he effortlessly slid into the saddle. The boy watched dejectedly and clenched his small fists. "Besides," he added with a subtle smirk, "not everyone is meant to be a dragon racer."

He meant it all in good fun. A joke. But Hiccup growled through his gritted teeth nonetheless and kicked at the loose dirt on the ground. He hated this. He HATED this. _"Why?!"_ He screamed inwardly, his heart pounding in his ears. _"Why am I not good enough?! Is it because I'm too stupid?! Too violent?! WHAT?!"_ Toothless picked up on the youngling's irritation and warbled good-naturedly, to which said boy scrunched up his little face in detest. _"Stupid dragon,"_ he hissed in his mind. _"You don't know anything! You don't know ANYTHING! Stop pretending to be nice!"_

"I'll look for you in the stands!" The man promised cheerfully, either pretending to ignore his son's anger or...he was completely oblivious to it. "Bye!"

And with that, the duo took off, leaving Hiccup the Fourth to stew, quivering with fury. If only he could breath fire to match up with his father's reptilian counterpart. He would... _"Stop." _He stood quietly for a few moments, there in the stables, wondering to himself why his father thought so little of him all the time. "Why doesn't he...he..." he whispered aloud, furiously trying to sort his deteriorated thoughts fro completely falling apart. This was more about the dragon racing. He knew that. Something... Hiccup shuddered. Something was wrong with him and he wasn't sure what.

The sunny atmosphere was perfect for a race, and boy, was the spell a lovely rarity.

The two teams of three partaking in the popular event consisted of Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs versus Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut. They were all itching to compete and show the island of Berk what they were capable of once more. Astrid in particular had a strong endeavor to win this time around, because it would be the last race she would participate in for a while, thanks to her maternal state.

Literally every Viking in town (even Mildew!) had shown up to witness the happening. Vivacity was often strenuous, so something to root for was never taken for granted. The commonalities assembled o'er the stands, cheering and hollering and stomping. After a bit, the Chief took his place on his throne, high above them all. This special placement gave him and his beta, Spitelout, a full view of the action.

"READY!" Gobber shouted from the ring, raising a colored red flag.

"GET SET!"

"Good luck out there, Hiccup," Came Snotlout's hurried avowal, which caught his cousin by surprise. However, the admiration was cut short when the male added with an arrogant smirk: "You're gonna need it!"

Hiccup glared and shot back a smirk of his own. Oh, it was so on…

"**GO**!" The gong was struck, and the racers took off, heading straight for the sheep pens that were being opened at that instant. It was an intense race. There was much fighting, arguing, and even physical violence among the racers AND the crowd, but the race eventually began to tilt in the favor of Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs.

"HA-HA!" Stoick bellowed as Astrid swept about and effortlessly managed to swipe the black sheep from under the twins' bickering noses. "THAT'S MY DAUGHTER IN LAW!" He extolled.

"Yaaaaaay!" Sigrun cheered, pumping her fists in the air with her brother, who as grinning sweetly. "Go Mommy! Go Daddy!"

Snotlout, chagrin atop his monstrous nightmare, glared at Astrid as she flung the black sheep into her basket. "AND ASTRID TAKES THE GAME!" Stoick bellowed, leaping up from his seat to pump his giant fists in the air. Spitelout cringed at the amount of volume the Chief was exerting, but clapped along anyways with a roll of his eyes.

Back up in the air, Snotlout was annoyed by the fact that his teammates had been squandered by their own sibling bickering. "Come on!" He yelled, twisting around to watch Astrid glide away. "Hiccup!" He scoured the area for his cousin. "Wherever you are, control your wife!" Thank goodness Astrid was too far away to heart that or she would have bashed him.

"DAD! OVER HERE!" Clamlegs's cheered excitedly. Fishlegs rode by to beam and wave at his adopted son before performing a simple aerobic move in commemoration of the event. Astrid happily at the sight of her children jumping and cheering in her favor before giving her living buoy an affectionate, gleeful scritch.

"You are such a good girl, my big racer!" She crooned fondly. "Much better than that stinky old Monstrous Nightmare, are you?" The dragon squawked and lifted her head high with pride. "Are you proud of yourself? Good! There's a bucket of chicken waiting for ya in the stables!" She laughed when the Nadder perked up and squawked in renewed interest. "Good job, Stormfly," she praised before gliding toward the plaza. "We'll sneak up on Hiccup later."

The race ended rather quickly after that, but it had emboldened the daily demeanor of the villagers. It had been a great day so far. Chief Stoick, atop his mighty throne, leaned back and smiled, the cheers echoing in the back of his skull. And yet... His smile faded.

His son was now nowhere to be found. Go figure.

Stoick groaned and rolled his eyes, pushing his gargantuan form from his throne with a heave. Spitelout regarded him questioningly. "'Scuse me, Spitelout."

It wasn't hard to find his grandchildren. They were seated beside him in a little group as part of the royal family. "Kids," he asked, equipping his voice with a tender tone he used specially for his grandchildren. "Ye wouldn't happen to know where that father of yers is, would yeh?"

Hiccup the Fourth made a noise that sounded extremely like a snort. "Probably making out with Toothless," he grumbled sluggishly. He was still recovering from the want. The earlier yearn for acceptance. "Where and what else would he be doing?"

Stoick raised an eyebrow. The boy seemed a bit surlier than usual, and rather than his sporadically loud behavior, he looked aloof, almost distant. That was odd coming from his mean, aggressive self.

"Noooo he's not!" Sigrun piped up with her little hands on her hips, distracting the Chief. She was always quick to adjust and align her brother's acerbic quips. "He's explowing wif Toofwess."

Stoick sighed and shook his head, observing his dejected grandson. "Well then," he said, rubbing his bearded chin. "I don't suppose you could help me look for him, could you?"

Amazingly, they perked up, and Sigrun quickly signed the message to her twin, who grinned as well.

"Excellent," Stoick extolled. "If you don't find him right away, come back when you reach the nearest sea stack."

"Sure thing!" Hiccup cheerfully agreed, a complete foil to his attitude just seconds before, and ran off to find Chaos with his siblings in tow. Stoick beamed after them proudly. His son had done well with them. His smile faltered. Well...most of them.

"Finally! Something to do!" Hiccup whooped as Chaos ducked and weaved through the clouds.

"Wait for us, brudder!" Sigrun whined in the distant. Her dragon, Tickles, was struggling to keep up with her eldest clutch mate, while Sigmund had his hands firmly clasped around his twin's waist. He had always been terrified of heights, and a thousand-foot only added to his impending phobia.

Clamlegs zipped through the air, albeit clumsily as he struggled to maintain the distance between his best friend and himself. "Hiccup, you'd best be waitin' for your siblings!" He counseled.

The younger boy groaned at the disparaging prospect and impulsively steered Chaos away from his tenacious friend. Not even in the sky, far away from the village, could he escape chastisement. "Watch 'em for me!" He ordered carelessly, and before Clamlegs could even protest this one-sided arrangement, he zipped away, leaving the elder boy to sputter out apathies.

Sigrun and Sigmund eventually converged on their own dragons and glided leisurely alongside the exasperated Viking.

"Where is brother?" Signed Sigmund curiously, and Clamlegs huffed with annoyance.

"He ditched us again," he regretfully familiarized the two curious children. "But don't worry!" He swiftly supplied when their little faces fell. "We'll catch up to him soon enough."

Sigrun sulked despite Clamlegs's assurance, her enormous blonde braids dipping down to comedically match her mood. She sadly dispatched the disheartening memo to Sigmund, who also let a frown engulf his ordinarily lively features.

"Aw…" Sigrun moped, and Tickles warbled with slight concern. Despite her brother's aggressive personality and odd demeanor, he was loved dearly by his siblings. They looked up to him and they hated it when he left them. "Why does he always do that?"

Clamlegs simpered sympathetically at the duo. He had grown up to be quite close to the Haddocks, and was more than aware of his best friend's introverted attitude. It chagrined him to think that their future-chief-in-line would do such a thing like desert his family.

"He… Well, he just wants to be by himself," he excused. But that was no justification to leave his defenseless siblings. And now they both looked as if they were going to burt into tears. Great.

To brighten the dreary mood and hopefully put a smile back onto the faces of the two children, Clamlegs smiled enthusiastically. "Now who wants to play "Follow the Leader"?"

Luckily, he noted with relief, the twins brightened. "We do! We do!" Sigrun shouted while her brother pumped his fists.

"Okay, the first one to find Hiccup gets a special treat," Clamlegs challenged.

"And the first one to find daddy?" Sigrun sweetly queried.

Clamlegs smirked. He may have been Hiccup the Fourth's best friend, but he wouldn't mind to see the boy's arrogance catch up with him.

"He or she will get to tell your daddy that his heir left us."

Several miles away from his children, Hiccup the Third was having the time of his life soaring through the air, weightless and free.

"How long has it been, bud?!" He whooped as they zipped through the clouds. Toothless chuffed in response and jutted his reptilian head into the of volley wind, his large, slimy pink tongue lolling out of his mouth.

Oh, it had been years! Hiccup chortled jovially as they began to descend from their perch in a clumsy yet expeditious dive. Because of the lack of drill the two had been exposed to over the years, the plunge was a tad rusty, but Hiccup knew that it was only a matter of time before the kids could take better care of themselves and he could fly more often.

"Alright, get ready, Bud… NOW!"

On command, Toothless spread out his magnificent midnight wings right before they would have plunged into the freezing ocean water, sending the duo skimming across the top. Hiccup whooped and hollered boyishly as the misty sea spray splattered him until Toothless scaled to greater heights. He didn't want to stop until they had reached Valhalla: the apex of the seven worlds. He wanted to climb higher and higher into the clouds until they had reached the endless blue. The young Viking glanced over his supple shoulder to observe the speck that was Berk before closing his emerald eyes and beaming.

"This is great Bud," he extolled. "Just you, me-"

**"-AND ASTRID!"** Came the shout of a certain shield-maiden, who had ostensibly appeared out of nowhere. The interruption caused Toothless to jolt and falter, and Hiccup to shriek in surprise.

Relying on instinct alone to escape the familiar perpetrator, the Nightfury dipped downward to ineptly smash upon a nearby sea-stack. Hiccup flew from the saddle upon impact with a scream and skidded across the grass, head-over-heels until he came to a stop, nearly falling off the edge of the sea-stack in the process.

"What the-?" He sputtered once he had caught his breath, scrambling to get away from the edge of the stack, where a sixty-foot drop was awaiting him. "Nope. Nope. Nope. Not dying. Not today."

As soon as he was a good few yards away from the edge, Hiccup unsteadily sat up, quite annoyed to find his wife hysterically laughing as she and Stormfly gracefully landed. Hiccup glared and got to his feet-er, foot. "Don't _do that_," he gasped, clutching at his collar as she dismounted with an innocent grin.

"Don't do what?" She teased. "Freak the living daisies outta you?"

"I, ah, could have said it better, but yes," Hiccup sarcastically retorted, rubbing his forehead. Astrid pursed her lips and nodded in amusement. "By the Gods, you scared me! How-How'd you manage to sneak up on me like that?"

"Stealth skills?" The woman supplied with a smirk. "How else could I have done it?

"Oh—Well yes, I figured as much."

"My question," Astrid exclaimed, "is about what you're up to."

"Me?" Hiccup gasped with feigned surprise. "Oh, you know... The usual rounds... Taking a breath a fresh air that-well, to put it blatantly: hasn't been inhaled in a while." Astrid giggled and rolled her eyes.

"This doesn't have anything to do with the upcoming coronation, does it?" She asked, folding her arms while raising a skeptical eyebrow.

Hiccup was opening his mouth and raising a hand to counter her while she was in mid-sentence, but closed it as soon as she finished. Because in truth, he was stumped as to what he could play off or say in defense. "W-Why, I...um... W-What makes you assume-?"

"Oh, nothing!" She dismissed, turning her back on the man. "Nothing at all! Absolutely nothing is suspicious about a person who sometimes flies away from his problems to fly away from the idea of being crowned."

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. "You don't really need to be so blatant," he mumbled, turning pink.

"I have to," the woman sighed, turning around to face him again. "Or else it won't sink in. Speaking of which," she added, to try and veer the subject due to his clear uncomfortable state, "you took a pretty big pratfall a few seconds ago. I'd say you sunk into th' ground. How'd it feel?"

"Awful," Hiccup smiled, thankful for the subject change. "But then again, what near-death experience has ever been perceived as fun?"

"Our Dragon Races?" Astrid laughed, throwing up her arms for emphasis.

"Uh-Irrelevant!" Hiccup cried, jutting his finger into the air while the female laughed. "That is completely irrelevant, Miss Astrid! Or should I call you Stalker?"

"Why not? I was following you from below the entire time, stupid! Maybe you should learn to pay more attention to your surroundings instead of relishing in your basking glory," Astrid cheerfully advised before joining her husband on the cliff-side. "It'd definitely do you some good."

"And ditch the moment?" The man asked in surprise. "Where's the fun in that?"

"The fun is staying alive. And, well..." Astrid shrugged and tried to stifle a smirk. "If that's what it takes to keep you from screaming like a banshee whenever I perform a sneak attack, then yes."

"Mm... I'll take my chances." Hiccup grinned and rolled his eyes. "And it wasn't much of an "attack" than it was a "prank"."

"Oh. Well, in that case: LOKI'D!" The woman playfully shouted, waving her hands in mock imitation to the Thorston twins. Hiccup groaned loudly and grabbed her waist, pushing them both to the grassy surface of the stack while she continued laughing.

"Thor, if I have to hear that one more time..." He started to warn before she kissed his cheek.

"Spare me," she chuckled, and he nuzzled her. Before the embrace could go any further, a familiar flutter of wings and chatter of voices entered the atmosphere. The couple quickly pulled apart and watched curiously as Clamlegs, Sigrun, and Sigmund landed atop the sea stack, shouting their greetings.

"Hey guys!" Hiccup cheerfully greeted, waving casually. He was nearly knocked over by the twins rushing forward to grab his legs. He laughed at their eagerness and lovingly embraced them.

"What're you doing here Clamlegs?" He asked, and then Astrid noticed something troubling.

"Where's my other son?" The woman asked, taking Sigmund into her arms.

To the Vikings' surprise, Clamlegs looked rather uncomfortable by the query. "Erm... Well, he took off, ma'am," he replied, glancing around the tiny area. "Three hours ago, I think. We thought that he was trying to find ya. He...He wouldn't happen to be here already, would he?"

"You let him leave you?" Hiccup asked with surprise. Usually, Clamlegs was able to convince his boy away from these acts.

"He rides a Deadly Fury, sir!" The younger boy protested, although his azure eyes cast down with shame. "And Horrorcow isn't the fastest dragon on Berk. No offense girl." He quickly added after his Gronkle whimpered.

"Okay, so let me get this straight." Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose. "My son randomly took off and left the three of you and ya haven't seen him for three hours?"

"Y-Yes, Sir."

The two adults glanced at each other and Astrid angrily huffed to mask her impending fear. "I can't believe that kid sometimes," she groaned, agitatedly chewing her bottom lip. With a sigh, she put her hands on her hips. "Clamlegs," she said, "thank you for bringing this to our attention, but I need you to take Sigrun and Sigmund back home. We'll take it from here and look for Hiccup."

Clamlegs hung his head. "I'm sorry, ma'am." Astrid gave him a reassuring par on the shoulder.

"Don't be," she told him. "Just head back home and have Gobber watch the twins. Hiccup will...Hiccup?" She turned to see her partner staring wide-eyed at the horizon...at a curl of smoke curling in the distance. "Sweetie, wha-?" Hiccup gently gripped her jaw and tilted her lie of sight in the right direction.

It only took a moment for the woman's maternal instincts to kick in. She swiveled back to the younger kids. "Get back to Berk and stay there," she ordered. "If we don't return by this evening, get the chief. He'll know what to do. You know this location, correct?"

"U-Uh, yes! Yes I do!" Clamlegs stutters, adjusting his spectacles. "But-But why would the matter of your return be an issue?"

"It shouldn't." Astrid eyed Hiccup, who visibly winced. "It wouldn't."

Hiccup the Fourth was too far-gone for anyone on Berk to find him soon, and he knew it. Oh, how he had yearned to be away from the offending crowd and alone-with his favorite pet, of course. Chaos was great. He couldn't judge, boss, or ridicule him. He couldn't even speak Norse!

"C'mon, Chaos!" He shouted as the duo zipped through the air. "Let's dive!" The Deadly Fury squawked his agreement and ducked toward the ashy-grey smoke.

"Wahooooooo!" Hiccup held the dragon's spines with all his might as they rushed past the smoke and into a clearing. Upon the sight of what lay before them, the boy's inhaled deeply. "What _is_ that?" Chaos warbled in amazement. Before them had to be the greatest God-created sculpture they had ever seen in their entire lives. Almost as jaw-dropping as Arvindal's Fire. It could only be described as a giant flourish of ice spikes that ranged from sixty to a hundred feet tall and wide-in the dead center of Hopeless and surrounded by icebergs! It was if the world's greatest wave had frozen mid-splash. Hiccup made note of this as he and the bemused dragon began a scenic circle around the icy masterpiece.

"Whoa..." He breathed, emerald eyes wide with shock and awe. "What kinda wave freezes mid-splash?" His curiosity was beyond peaked, as was his dragon's, more for the fact that it KNEW that a creature bigger than he had created this-NOT a natural cause. "Whaddaya say we get a closer look?" He suggested excitedly, adjusting his fur cloak around his body.

Chaos crooned and dove towards the wreckage, cautiously keeping a distance by circling the area. Upon further inspection, Hiccup was led to believe that the ice had encased some sort of fort, and it was a mess! Wooden spikes jutted out of the sculpture. Hiccup slapped a hand atop of his horned helmet to keep it from flying off his head. "Man," the boy gasped through his chattering teeth, "I wish I had my sketch-book to record this..."

While scouring the frozen area and concentrating on keeping his small form from freezing, Hiccup failed to notice a small group of men at the base of the fort when they passed a large spike of ice. Only when one of the men shouted did dragon and Viking take a start.

_"Dragon rider!"_

Unfortunately, Hiccup couldn't detect the bola whizzing through the air quickly enough to steer Chaos out of the way, which ultimately sent them plummeting to the wooden deck of the former fort. The contact of his skin slamming against the wood knocked the wind out of system. For a moment, he lay crumpled upon the deck in a daze and on the verge of falling unconscious.

As his vision swam, something sharp pierced his cheek, causing fear and anger to flood back into his system. A spear? How dare they? With annoyance quickly overlapping the flood over anger and irritation stealing its place, Hiccup swatted the spear with the back of his hand and tried to sit up.

"_What_ in the _name_ of _might_?!" He shouted, snatching his discarded helmet with his frozen fingers placing it back on his head, ready to confront the clutch of men before him.

Chaos joined his verbal retaliation and screeched staunchly while extending his midnight wings to appear more threatening. It didn't last long, for a dart pierced his side and injected a sleeping herb into his bloodstream. Hiccup watched in shock as his pet passed out not long after that.

"Chaos?!" No response except a hiss-like snore.

Hiccup stared in shock at his snoozing reptilian friend and then at the approaching men-all wielding spears and daggers. He groaned. Perfect. Luckily, they relaxed and lowered the weapons as the draconic threat fell asleep. Hiccup glared at them and gripped the mesh between his pale digits.

"Hey!" He shouted, startling the lot. "Are you nuts? Cripes, I could've died!" The men stared at him with amusement as he continued to shout. "I think I've broken every bone in my body-And wipe those butt-ugly grins off your mugs before I make Chaos burn it off! ...Erm...When he wakes up!"

"Now, now. Let's not resort ourselves to violence," a young man with sleek raven hair advised, stepping from the crowd in a brisk, arrogant manner. "I know you're a Viking and all, but even barbarians such as yourselves can control-..." He trailed as soon as the beautiful specimen of the dragon came into his view.

"Soil my britches," he breathed. "That is quite the dragon you've got there, my lad." He hopped delicately over a pile of rubble to get a closer look. "Don't believe I've seen anything like it, have you lads?"

The men shook their heads and stared at the reptile with equal amazement etched onto their pale, tattooed faces.

Hiccup backed up cautiously as the man neared. From what he knew, he couldn't recognize the foreign accent. What he did notice, however, was the unnerving look of interest on the man's face-and the harsh scars that layered his face like carvings on a pine tree.

Although he was incredibly irritated and sore, Hiccup couldn't stifle the hint of pride in his voice when he snappishly replied, "You probably haven't. After all, there're only three in existence that I know about."

"Incredible!" The man responded, genuinely impressed. He found it best to work with children by humoring them. Kids were gullible as they came and he was certain that this boy would be no exception. "You seem like an intelligent individual. You wouldn't happen to know where those creatures dwell, would you?"

"I would," the boy simply responded.

"Aye. And what kind of place would that be?" The man pressed.

Hiccup blinked in disbelief and stiffened. His young mind was perplexed by the idea that someone this close to his home hadn't yet heard of the peace with the dragons on Berk. "You don't get out much, do you?" It was more of a statement than a question.

The raven-haired man was startled by the query, but decided to play along and shrug. "I could say the same to you," he countered.

The boy was visibly unfazed. "Touché," he replied. "Although it might be harder to travel in this ol' heap of junk," his hand flourished about the fort. "Might be handy to have a dragon. Say, is that why you shot me down?" Before the man could respond, he added, "Because my dragon is far too small for your soggy behind."

There was a silence as the other men tried to stifle their laughter. The nearest man just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You certainly have a load of rubbish in the mind for such a tiny Viking. I didn't think the old Vigilante's apprentice would be such a boor."

"A what?"

"A loudmouth."

"Loudmouth?!" Hiccup bristled at the spat. Great. Another person that viewed him as nothing more than an annoying little kid. "I'll have you know-...Wait... Did you say 'vigilante'?"

"That I did."

"Who's that? Sounds awful."

"Aw, don't play games with me now, boy. We've only just been acquainted!"

"...But...I-I'm not-!" Hiccup replied, forcing out a laugh.

"Lad—"

"-No, really! I have legitimately have no idea who you're talking about."

"Don't play stupid," the man snapped, sudden anger flooding through his handsome features. "It won't do you any good-especially after what your superior had done to our fort!"

"I...I don't know anyone who would something like this." Hiccup truthfully answered. "Except for my uncle, but even he wouldn't cause THIS must destruction." He studied the man. "Which reminds me... Who the heck are you?"

"Oh! Of course! Where are my manners?" The man bowed mockingly and sneered at the child. "I am Eret, son of Eret-"

"And I am Hiccup!" The small boy interrupted, causing the man to huff. "Son of Hiccup, the son of Grandpa, the son of Great-Grandpa, the son of Great-GREAT Grandpa, the son of..." He paused and spared the man the rest. "Right, I'll spare you the thousand."

Eret looked at him with uncertainty.

Hiccup scratched the area beneath his helmet. "I'm sorry. What was your name again?"

Eret took a deep breath and counted to ten. "As I was saying..." He enunciated. "I am Eret, the finest dragon-trapper alive!"

"The finest dragon trapper alive? Where are the other ones? Dead?"

His question startled Eret, but he answered, albeit hesitantly. "Quite...if-if you're pertaining to trappers of my caliber."

Although stuck in a situation as dangerous as his own, Hiccup couldn't help but roll his emerald eyes. "...Congratulations," he intoned sarcastically, slowly clapping his admiration. "You've managed to capture-let's see...one dragon the size of a mead barrel, and an eight-year-old kid. "Finest alive" indeed."

He snorted as Eret's face fell. "I don't think your caliber is up to par."

Eret, who had to deal with enough verbal abuse in his life already, was becoming infuriated. He took great pride in his work, and although he wasn't happy with the boss, he didn't want to hear this person insult it.

"Listen here, lad," the man snapped. "We would've had more if it weren't for that destructive Vigilante."

"Really?"

"Of course! His last attack was a mere month ago..." Oh... So this ice palace of a fort wasn't new... Without much warning, he thrust his sword through the mesh net and lightly pierced the tip of it against the lithe chest of the young boy, who, oddly enough, didn't look the least bit of concerned at all. Just angry.

"Where is his location?" Asked an impatient Eret. "Speak now and I might let you and your dragon live."

Hiccup barely glanced at the man'e piercing gaze and stared at the offending weapon instead. "That's a rather blunt blade. Did the Vigilante destroy the portable weapon sharpener as well or do you just have low standards?"

Fury contorted in the man's features and he reached down to yank up the lithe boy by the tunic through the mesh of the net. "You're trying my patience," Eret growled dangerously. "I'm not above hurting children, and I won't release a dragon rider that'll help mess with my quota-no matter how young that rider is."

"U-Um... Quota?" Hiccup squirmed, feeling a bit more helpless dangling in the hands of the man. "Quota for who?"

"Whaja mean "who"? The man snapped. "The man you and your Vigilante have been trying to squander ever since he's arrived on these shores with his dragon army."

"So who's the guy with the dragon army?"

Eret groaned but answered anyway. He might as well. After all, the little tyke wasn't leaving anytime soon. "Drago Bludfist."

There was a pause, and Eret was shocked when the boy suddenly burst out laughing. "W-awa-Wait, wait, wait, wait!" The boy hooted. "Drago Bludfist? Drago Bludfist?!"

Eret's eye twitched. "Something funny?"

"Well yeah!" Hiccup cheerfully responded. "That's only the dumbest name in existence. Whoever this guy is, his parents must have hated him. With a passion!"

Eret, although he hated Drago with a passion, he couldn't just let this brat poke fun at his boss. So he rose a callused fist to slap the grin right off that pale face. "That's quite enough of-!"

"HEY! LET HIM GO!"

Eret dropped his hand and glanced upward in shock, as did his men as two MORE dragon riders plummeted toward their fort and landed hard onto the deck. A Deadly Nadder and a...

"Is that what I think it is?" The man gasped, a small smile overtaking his complexion. He carefully observed the two human perpetrators and relaxed. Neither of them looked as if they could hold up their own against his men, and they were unarmed. Perfect. "Well, well, well... That really is a Nightfury! I don't believe the boss has anything like that in his army!"

The Nadder squawked with horror upon the sight of her hatchling laying unconscious on the deck, covered in a net. She hastily trotted forward and started nudging and nipping at Chaos's spines.

"You alright, sweetie?!" The golden-haired woman barked, snatching a wooden plank from the deck to use as a makeshift weapon.

Hiccup nervously craned his neck to catch a glimpse of his angry parents and felt his heart plummet to his feet. They looked infuriated, and not just with the trappers. "...Uh, y-yeah."

"Hand him and the dragon over," Hiccup the Third snarled, approaching the trappers with the daunting Nightfury following close behind. "Do it now and we won't resort to violence."

Eret held his hands up. In doing so, the eight-year-old fell to the wooden surface with a thud, still tangled in the net. "By all mean, take the little bugger. But em, the dragons are staying with us."

Hiccup gave him a tired look. "I'm sorry. I have no obligation to listen to a man who threatens my children."

"Your children?" Eret nodded discreetly to his archers before scanning the young man up and down. He couldn't possibly be the Vigilante then. He was much too young and probably had far too much on his hands to lead a retaliation against Drago. "You don't look a day over eighteen."

"Uh, thanks." Hiccup sighed and awkwardly shrugged his shoulders. "I'll hold onto that 'till I reach fifty, alright?"

The other men couldn't help but snicker at his jest and even Eret couldn't suppress a grin. "Smart-alecky and bony," he chuckled, drawing his sword as the archers drew their crossbows. "The apple certainly doesn't fall far from the tree, now does it?" He asked, flourishing the weapon.

"It most certainly doesn't," the younger man absently agreed, detangling his small son from the net and shoving him behind. "...Strange, hostile person whom we've never met."

"Oh right. Excuse my manners. I am Eret, son of Eret," the trapper proudly informed him.

"Finest dragon trapper alive," Hiccup the Fourth mumbled sarcastically before being harshly shushed by his furious mother.

Eret ignored the comment. "Now, I'm sorry to say this, but these dragons of yours are quite suitable to Drago's army caliber." He began to inspect them. "Healthy, I presume. Strong, fine wings, rugged, prematurely trained... These'll do quite nicely."

"Look," Hiccup tried to reason as the trappers began to close in. "We don't know anything about a dragon army or who messed up your fort. Just give us our dragon, and-and we'll go."

"Not a chance," the older man denied. "I've got enough on my platter to deal with one thieving dragon rider, but to let loose another three?" He let out a mocking laugh. "You can tell your Vigilante that his dragon-buoys are ours now."

"Are they?" Astrid snapped, brandishing her plank, ready to strike out at anyone who dared lay a hand on her dragon, or more importantly, her child. "I don't think so, Eret."

"Wait," Hiccup interrupted her, holding out a hand in front of her. "What vigilante?" He asked Eret. "Are-Are you telling me that there's another dragon rider?"

Eret threw up his hands in exasperation, hardly believing what he was hearing. "Are all of you stupid?" He yelled, causing Hiccup the Fourth to jolt. "Do you not see this barrage of ice? The wooden splinters?!" His outburst caused the opposing adults to question his stability and possibly his mental state, as a formidable foe. It made Hiccup begin to think that the man he was dealing with wasn't entirely sane.

"Is there another dragon rider..." Eret was grumbling under his breath, which reeled Hiccup out from his observant stupor. "You mean other than your thieving friend who came here last month; YOU tell ME!" The trapper snarled. Hiccup the Fourth was most surprised by the man's change in persona. He had thought at the beginning of the acquaintance that Eret was a gentleman, not a crazed, mentally-unstable person like he was!

Another man jumped in, more than happy to explain for his flustered captain. "Drago's expectin' a shipment by tomorrow," he explained hastily, "and he don't take too kindly to waitin' OR your kind."

To prove the man's point, Eret tugged down his collar to reveal a very nasty scar-a branding mark obviously placed there by hot molten metal. The three Hooligans winced at the gruesome sight and Hiccup huddled a bit closer to his father for comfort.

"This is what he gave me when I didn't live up to his quota," he explained. "Believe me, he's given me far worse but I don't want to scar the child's fragile little mind. The point is that the man is ruthless, and he promised to be far less understanding the next time I arrived without dragons."

Shaken by the image, Hiccup closed his eyes and tried not to imagine the very pain the man had obviously gone through, physically and emotionally. Imagine, the person you work and put your own life on the line for, would inflict pain upon you... What if Gobber had done such a thing to Hiccup if he hadn't met his quota on sharpening battle axes?

"Look, I-...I'm sorry that you have an insane boss and that he's done that to you, but..." Hiccup almost through his arms up in disbelief. "What does it have to do with us? We've caused you no harm, so the fact of the matter is-"

"The fact of the matter," Eret interrupted in his weathered voice, "is that we as trappers are up to our wrists in quotas that need to be fulfilled with-without you bloody dragon-lovers getting in our way. We have families that need to be fed, children that need to be taken care of-" Hiccup's face softened, "-and yet another obstacle is not what we need in our lives right now."

"...But why a dragon army?" Astrid wondered aloud.

Hiccup the Fourth was more than happy to elucidate. "I'll bet it's so they can rule the seven worlds. You need dragons to do that." He paused. "Or something."

"Or something," Eret groaned, rubbing the space between his eyes.

Hiccup smiled sadly. He'd met plenty of people that didn't like dragons, and in his opinion, that was fine. It never meant that they were bad people; they just had a difference of opinion. And why would they like dragons? They WERE, admittedly so, dangerous animals. Just like how he disliked carnivorous wolves, but Tuffnut and Ruffnut adored them. It was fair, and the opinion harmed nobody. However, the abuse of dragons was intolerable in his book.

"And who might you be?" Eret queried, snapping the young man out of his thoughts. Alright. No more beating around the bush.

"Hiccup. And this is Toothless," he petted the angry Nightfury on the head. "I'm sorry about your situation, but he says we're going. Now."

"I think not," Eret chuckled. "A Nightfury, a Deadly Nadder, and a strange creature like that," he pointed to the unconscious Deadly Fury, "will fetch a pretty price on the market and a fine addition to the army. And their riders..." He pointed to them, "...will make some better leverage for that cursed vigilante."

"I'm sure we would..." Hiccup trailed, catching sight of the archers. He pulled his son close. "And I'm certain you'd hold us here as bait for whoever you dislike."

"Right."

"So it's a shame you're not the fine trapper you believe you are. You're in no condition to defend yourselves, let alone fight."

"Ha! I beg to differ," Eret chuckled, carelessly inspecting his nails.

"I don't," Hiccup contradicted. "PLASMA BLAST!"

Eret and his men jolted in surprise and shrieked not only at the abrupt volume of the command, but the Nightfury leaping forward and shooting forth a barrage of burning plasma from its pitch-black gullet, blackening the wooden deck from which it destroyed. Again he fired, the blast destroying a chunk of ice that perched above the fort, causing chunks of ice to rain upon the crowd.

"Take cover!" A man cloaked in polar bear furs bellowed while the archers above took their aim and fired at the Nightfury.

The dragon sensed the whizzing of the poisoned arrows and leapt gracefully from their intended destination, and they punctured the deck where he once stood. Eret snarled and drew his sword, charging at the offending reptile. Toothless spun around, knocking over a trapper with the brute force of his tail while facing the advancing charge.

Stormfly joined the counter attack. She was especially angry that her young had been injured, and expressed her emotions by flinging his venomous spines at charging soldiers and screeching at the top of her lungs.

Hiccup grabbed his stunned son by the scruff and hastily placed him onto Stormfly while Toothless and Astrid distracted the trappers. "Go! Fly! Get out of here!" He ordered, ducking to avoid a poisoned arrow.

"But what about Chaos!? _Chaos_!" The young boy screeched, his heart pounding with fear as Stormfly squawked with anger when her hatchling lay unconscious. "I'm getting Chaos!" The young Viking yelled, dodging his father to leap off of the Nadder and onto the deck.

"No! _No_! _Hiccup_! Get back here before you get yourself killed!" His father shouted, racing after the boy. He couldn't believe his child couldn't sit still for just one second.

A large form deliberately blocked his path. Eret. Sword drawn, eyes blazing in fury, muscles bulging, and ready to slice his physical being in half. Hiccup narrowly avoided the razor-sharp blade by hunkering over and jabbing his bony shoulder into the other man's stomach, taking him by surprise and knocking the wind out of him in the process.

"Hiccup!" He shouted as his adversary dropped the sword and collapsed on the deck. "**STOP**!"

Hiccup the Fourth deliberately ignored him, sprinting as fast as his skinny legs could carry him, dodging arrows and spears until he reached the snoozing reptile. "Chaos?" He cried, throwing off the net and discarding it beside the ash. "Chaos! C'mon! Wake up!" He begged, shaking the dragon by the neck. Anxiety... ANXIETY! "Please-GAAAAAHHH!"

Toned arms wrapped around his waist and yanked him off the ground, successfully scaring the living daylights out of him. "It's me!" Came the shout of a furious, frazzled Astrid. "We're leaving! Now!" Her voice both relived and terrified the young male.

Strength was a virtue in the woman's case. In one arm she held her son, in the other she managed to grapple the oblivious Deadly Fury. With both of them securely in her grip, she raced for Toothless and beckoned Hiccup over to them.

"Stay with your father," she ordered, her thunderous glare enough to surpass that of an angry bull. "Do NOT disobey me."

Hiccup gulped, trembling slightly as he caught sight of the limp form in her arms. "But Chaos-!"

"-Will be fine. I'll take care of him," she assured the boy as Hiccup approached. "You hang on as tight as you can. Understand?!"

"...Yes," he at last complied, ducking his head down to avoid the disappointed glare of his mother. Toothless seemed to sense the boy's distress and crooned comfortingly amidst the course of hissing at the trappers. Finally, Hiccup the Third took out the last of the guards in his path and leapt upon his Nightfury, taking off after Astrid.

They escaped, physically unharmed. An injured Eret weakly picked himself off the deck, caked in ash, and hysterically screamed after them. "You will never hold onto those dragons; you hear me?! _Drago is comin' for them all! Every! Last! **ONE**!_"

As soon as the group was out of the range of the archers, they began to relax and took to gliding above the clouds. Evening. The sun was setting, casting its pink, purple, and red hues upon the world. The silence among the humans began when they escaped, but the tension and anger in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Thankfully, Chaos finally gained consciousness and awakened in Astrid's toned arms. He crooned curiously, sniffing at the air, and Stormfly twisted her neck to lovingly nuzzle him.

The dragon's actions nearly broke the spell, and it was Hiccup the Third who broke the impending silence. "What were you doing?" He barked out abruptly, causing his young son to flinch with nervousness. His father was stewing in anger, and even HE knew that it wasn't the best time to back-talk.

"Flying..." He admitted, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach.

"Correction:," Hiccup snapped, "you were disobeying me-again!"

Astrid listened quietly and the dragons glanced wearily at each other as the rider chastised his young.

"I've told you over and over not to leave your siblings, but do you listen to me?" Hiccup asked in disbelief. "No! I must have told you the dangers a million times! And what do you do? You fly off and manage to get yourself captured!"

Hiccup the Fourth clenched at his auburn fur vest for comfort, undoubtedly shaken by the experience of both his parents and pet nearly dying. And deep down, even if he would never admit it, it was technically his fault. Even so, he could not help but try to defend himself. "I...I wasn't trying to cause trouble..." He lamely insisted.

"I-I'm honestly beginning to doubt that."

Hiccup's head snapped up from its downcast position. "What?! But it's the truth!"

"The truth doesn't matter right now, Hiccup!" Astrid explained. "Sigrun and Sigmund could have gotten lost! They could have run into those trappers and then what would have happened? The both of them would've been killed!"

"Exactly!" Hiccup approved. He closed his eyes for a moment. "Thank Odin Clamlegs was there or they might have flown off the edge of the world!"

This chastisement was beginning to cause Hiccup the Fourth's stomach to sink. As a human being, he wasn't without shame for the sake of his pride, and his father going on about his mistake wasn't helping in the least. Quietly, he slid his helmet over his eyes to obscure the view of the world around him. He began to shake.

"You know what?" Hiccup realized. "This is the last straw. You aren't going to be flying again for a long, looong time."

That gave the boy a start, and his heart plummeted to his boots. First the yelling, but now this? "What?!" He cried out, embarrassingly shrill. "But-"

"-But nothing," the man firmly cut him off. "You scared your mother and I half to death! I thought you were-Y-You could've-" He temporarily halted his rant to took a deep breath in order to try and calm his nerves. "You. Could. Have. Died," he slowly enunciated. "I would never forgive myself if any of my children died or got hurt."

The young boy hunched his shoulders and gripped the horns of his helmet. It was happening again. The thoughts...the anxiety...the hurt... "Stop..." He choked out, barely above the whisper of the wind.

"Hiccup," the older Viking went on, "you aren't getting how dangerous the world is outside of Berk. It's a dark place out there and you don't even know anyone outside of our village. The world is different and near the mainland Vikings aren't all that beloved. So until you can earn your mother's trust and my trust, you're grounded."

"But-" Hiccup tried again before the last scrap of dignity was shed from his mind.

"-That's my final say."

"That's not f-"

"Enough!" Hiccup barked, tightening his grip on the reigns.

"Sweetie, you need to listen to him," Astrid said, gliding alongside them. She reached over just enough to lift the helmet out of the child's runny red eyes. "We don't want you to be angry or sad; we want you safe, and if grounding you is gonna do the trick, then that's just what we'll have to do."

"But-" Hiccup stopped, his face burning with embarrassment and shame. His fingers clenched the leather of the saddle. "I don't care," he whispered, his eyes growing hot. _Too much. Too much. Too much._

Hiccup literally pulled Toothless from his glide and into a hovering position. He twisted around to glare at his son. "What was that?" Astrid passed them and looked back in concern.

Hiccup stared at his father with an emotion mixed with dread, hopelessness, fear, and hatred. "You don't get it," he hoarsely asserted, almost wildly. "You never do. You _never_ did!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"You hate me!"

"Hiccup-" Astrid started, but stopped with dread by the almost hysterically furious expression her son had adorned. He looked ready either to explode or burst into tears. "Honey. You need to calm down. Please, just-"

"NO!" Came the child's abrupt outburst. "Don't tell me to calm down!" He shrieked, forcefully slapping his trembling hands over his ears. "_Don't tell me to calm down!_" He screamed. "Oh GODS... I'm going crazy!"

Hiccup and Astrid caught each other's now concerned gazes. Their son was going hysterical. "Son, please-"

"NO! I AM DONE! YOU HEAR ME?!" The young Viking screamed. "DONE!" And with that, he hurled himself from the back of the Nightfury. Chaos screeched as his human plummeted toward the clouds. Astrid didn't hold him back as he wretched out of her arms and dove after Hiccup.

Words could not describe the amount of fear that had overtaken the parents. Seeing their firstborn child practice a technically-suicidal action was enough to give either of them a double heart-attack.

After about a millisecond of stunned silence, Hiccup took the initiative. "Toothless!" He screamed. "DIVE! DIVE! DIVE!" Astrid ordered Stormfly to do the same and they all plunged through the pink clouds in ruthless search of their son.

Under the influence that Chaos couldn't possibly catch up to the boy in time, Hiccup made sure that Toothless skipped searching the clouds and exited them until they were face to face with the vast blue ocean.

But Hiccup the Fourth...was nowhere to be found.

"No... No, no, NO!" The Viking whipped his head this way and that, nearly dislodging his helmet in the process, his emerald eyes wide with a terror that words could not describe. "Hiccup!" He screamed, heart pounding with absolute terror. "Hiccup! Where are you?!"

Maybe Chaos HAD caught up to him. That's what Astrid was asking when she caught up with her partner. "Hiccup?! Did Chaos catch him?!" She yelled, looking equally as terrified as her husband did. When he didn't answer right away, she screamed with more than a hint of desperation in her tone, "_Did Chaos catch my son!?_"

"I-I think so!" Hiccup hastily responded, relentlessly scanning the ocean for a floating form but finding nothing. "He must have..." Hopelessly dejected, the man loosened his hands on the reins and sagged in disbelief. How could everything go so wrong so fast? "Hiccup..." He whispered. "Why...?"

It was then he began to believe the notion that something was wrong with his son. Gobber had waved off his violent tendencies as a phase, Stoick as admirable, Mildew as a curse, and Astrid as a normal kid-boyish asset. But this had to be more than just the run-of-the-mill anger issue. This was a mentality issue, a barrier that he and his people had no idea how to solve on a regular basis.

"He must still be in the clouds," Hiccup guessed, craning his neck to stare at the vastness of the pink, fluffy clouds. "I don't understand... What made him just go off like that?!"

Astrid's form tensed. She was close to bursting out into tears, which was very unlike her moderate caliber. "I wish I knew," she muttered, using a fist to wipe at her watery eyes. "How-How about we split up in different directions and if we don't find him in an hour, we meet back at the sea stack, and if we don't meet back in an hour-"

"-Something terrible has happened," Hiccup finished with a nervous nod. "Got it."

"Right." Astrid tried to smile determinedly while internally attempting to will her worry away. "Don't worry, we'll find him. And when we do, the three of us are going to have a LONG talk. C'mon Stormfly!"

The Vikings, true to the plan, wasted no time and split off in opposite directions in hopes of finding their hysterical son, but neither of them were coming close to catching up with their disheartened child.

Miles away, Clamlegs had succefully led Sigrun and Sigmund back to Berk, but after waiting for what seemed like hours, evening had at last approached. Hiccup and Astrid had yet to return, and it worried the children. Were they still out looking for Hiccup the Fourth, or had something on a much larger scale occurred?

This question haunted Clamlegs for the entirety of the wait, so after he sat watching the horizon while the twins played for hours on the edge of the cliff, he decided to take the matter into the hands of authority.

The kids eventually made it back to Berk's plaza, which was still drenched the cheery-like atmosphere in a post-race mood. The other dragon racers flew effortlessly above the village, whooping and hollering as the kids flew by. Their presence disturbed a group of terrors that had been loving on Gothi, and she shook a fist at them in irritation. "Hiya Gothi!" Tuffnut and Ruffnut yelled to the old woman, waving.

Ducking and weaving through a large crowd that had gathered outside the smithy, Sigrun, Sigmund, and Clamlegs began to scour the area for their Chief.

"Where is he...?" Clamlegs muttered, keeping a tight grip on the younger kids. "Excuse me-sorry-coming through! Chief Stoick? Chief?"

"Wossat?" A large figure boomed from the front of the smith, jerking upward and bumping his head against a shelf. Clamlegs sighed with relief.

"Evening, Sir!" He greeted politely, tugging the wide-eyed twins along. "And to you to, Sir Belch!"

"Top o' the morning to ' yeh, laddie!" Gobber replied while tracing a pattern on a large strip of leather.

Stoick smiled as the younger two kids squealed for joy and rushed into him. "Haha!" He guffawed, effortlessly picking the both of them up and bouncing them around in his arms. "There're my grandchildren; how are yeh lass?" He greeted, pulling a giggling Sigru into a hug and slapping Sigmund on the back. Clamlegs fidgeted.

"Ah! Son of Fishlegs!" Stoick greeted, noticing the boy. "Thank yeh for watching the little ones. "What brings ye here?"

"Sir! Chief!" Clamlegs gasped out, unable to keep it in any longer, "Hiccup the Fourth is missing!" No reason to beat around the bush. "I think he's in trouble!"

Stoick and Gobber glance at each other. "What do you mean, missing?"

Clamlegs looks hysterical. "While we were all flying, he went off on his own and we lost him. We found his dad and mom, but then they saw smoke and...they haven't come back for hours..."

Stoick looks concerned and angry. "I swear, those three are goin' to fly off the edge of the world sooner or later. Anything else, lad?"

"T-That's it, Sir."

"...You did the right thing, son. If they've been gone for that long, something must be amiss. I'll gather reinforcement, and you can show us where you last saw them, alright?"

"Y-Yes, Sir. Can my dad come too?"

"Can yer father come?" Gobber pretended to be surprised. "Nah... You're pulling mah leg, lad!"

Stoick smiled and patted the boy's head. "I'll make sure he does."

**Author's Note: Be prepared my little Fanrats, for there is an upcoming chapter with an intensity from which the world has never seen! I do hope (whether you are Anonymous or with an account) that you will leave a review! I love feedback, because said feedback directs the way my writing stream will flow. ;) And on top of that, follow and favorite if you have an account!**

**Until next time,**

**EmmaLennyEddie**


	17. The Tusked Monarch

**Author's Note: For everyone's kind words and inspirational praise, I thank you kindly. It's unbelievable the amount of time I've spent away from this story, and I can't imagine how awful that must of been for you Fanrats, so before I commence ze responses, I apologize with the upmost sincerity. **

**Junior year in high school is actually one of the hardest things I've ever had to get through. Coupled with the amount of homework I have and not to mention the stress that has been literally aging me by about seven years per day, I haven't been able to get my head around my stories as much as I would've liked to. So that's why I feel like I owe you all an apology. I guess I can't make those promises that guaranteed my quick updates, because we all know that that's not entirely true anymore is it? Regardless, I am not about to abandon the story and I promise you all with the upmost sincerity that I will finish it off with the ending that you all deserve for sticking with me this long, because I honestly didn't think I would get this far.**

**Commence ze Responses!**

**The Forsaken Twist: I know! Looking back, I realize that the last chapter was so long that the narrator got tired and they had to hire a new one. Yoink! ;)**

**RiseOfADragon: I'm so ecstatic that you've finally caught up! Welcome to the edge of the world, bro! From here on out, its all gonna be myth and mystery for you to binge-read yet again.**

**Noname: I'MTRYING I'MTRYING I'MTRYING I'MTRYING! Typing fast isn't exactly a specialty of mine, **_**especially**_** on my phone, so bear with me and I will grant you a fine chapter. ;) I promise.**

**RoxyTheHot: Thank you so much! It gets me all warm and fuzzy to hear that people enjoy reading what I have to write. It's the one thing that I can appreciate from day to day.**

**TidePoolAngel: *glares off into the abyss as the fanfare continues to play* Let's go my Fanrats. ONWARD! *and off we go into war with the fandom, ready to sacrifice our sanity for the sake of the world or something***

**Guest: I know. Either its Hiccup's genes or Astrid's genes that screwed up their kids. Enough for one to be deaf and the other to be…really angry all the time. I don't think autism… I don't know if I have a solid diagnosis for Hiccup IV's problematic behavior, but even if I did have a proper diagnosis, I wouldn't label him as autistic. Just my opinion.**

**FluentFletcher2: Oh, YOU! *blush* You're just the sweetest little critic that I ever did see!**

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: Nah, YOU'RE beautiful! And don't try to deny it!**

**Guardian of Azarath: Yeah, I've never been a huge fan of Valka, but to her credit, she DIDN'T stop a war. Her son did. T.T REALLY VALKA?! What a waste! Well, at LEAST she discovered all sorts of secret...that we only got a glimpse of when she pressed Toothless's spots. Cripes almighty, I can't stand it...**

**Guest (2): OMIGOSH that is SO sweet! I can't believe you've read my story more than once! It must take a lot of time out of someone's day! XD**

**Guest (3): As of now, yes, I am planning to do more with this story.**

**Angryhenry: Zoinks! I jinxed myself! ...Whatever that means...**

**Grandtheftfandom: Thanks for the support, dude, and NOT calling my parents evil jerks like others on this website have through private messaging. *sigh* Well, you can't please everyone, whether it be my parents or anonymous people on a website. Thanks again! I hope you like this chapter.**

**Secret love writer: You have a good point. I am NOT forced to read the crum on here, but lemme tell you something: as a teenager, I am curious. And for me, its way too tempting. Tempting enough for my parents to distrust me. So can you blame them? Nah, I sure don't. I wouldn't want my kid on here either, because the danger is too easy to run into.**

**Alpha Dark-Gray Wolf: Hey, you are free to vent in my reviews. UNLEASH YOUR RAGE! KILL A RANDOM OLD PERSON I DON'T KNOW, SOMETHING! And yes, I agree with you about the TV series. They strayed waaaaaaaay too far from the plot, so much so that I felt like it was a different fandom all together. And thankfully, yes, my health has vastly improved. :)**

**UpbeatGracie: That's alright, man. Sometimes we say things on the internet and look back on it like, "Ohhhh, that's gonna cost me." And don't worry! I never felt like you were calling me names or insulting my intelligence . :) I love reading feedback, and I was overjoyed to hear from you. So keep being true to your name, Gracie. Stay upbeat and keep smiling!**

**Guest (4): You're welcome. I'm glad I could share it with each and every one of you.**

_**Disclaimer**_**: If it isn't obvious by now that I don't own the rights to How To Train Your Dragon, I don't know what I'll do.**

**Side note: There is STILL NO SWEARING in my world, and that includes the review section, so please, please, please keep your language clean. Think of the children! Think of the baby dragons...and ME.**

...

_**Chapter 17: The Tusked Monarch**_

In the midst of misfortune, Chaos was feeling aberrantly inept at the moment, and unlike the proper companion he was supposed to be, was ill-informed as to how to provide comfort to his crying human. Toothless, his sire, had tried to teach him to communicate as much as possible so that living with humans could be easier, but they were so unbelievably _complicated! _How could any animal bear to try to understand everything that a human was saying or feeling?

Usually, a human expressed his or her feelings through verbal exchange in that awkward language of theirs, in a mass of chatters and yips; they seldom did through corporal linguistics that would suit more to a dragon's liking. Chaos found it an annoyance, that the setback made it all the more problematic when he had to deal with tough situations, and this was no exception.

Because of the lack of mental capacity to intelligently rationalize, Chaos hadn't the slightest inkling as to what had troubled his rider to this extent, other than he had been austerely chastised by his sire, which led him to this breakdown. But to THIS extent? Chaos was confused. It wasn't as if the boy had never gotten in trouble before, that was for sure. So why? Even with the cause confirmed, the adolescent dragon had no idea how to fix it.

Hopeful pacify the boy's nerves, the dragon had endeavored making a few pit stops to rest, but the boy repudiated every single one of the simple requests. It soon became patent that the youngster wanted to get as distant from his parents as humanely possible.

With the youth's lithe arms wrapped tightly around the Deadly Fury's scaly neck, he was nearly squeezing it to the point of suffocation. Clenching his fingers into the leathery underside of his pet's throat, Hiccup buried his reddened, tear-painted face into its nape. Chaos let him. It wasn't that big of concern of his that the back of his neck was being used as a scaly tissue.

Twenty minuets after sailing through the clouds, now grey as dark approached, he was still sobbing irrepressibly, the aforementioned events leaving him provisionally ruptured beyond repair.

"I-I-I-I CAN'T! I CAN'T!" He wailed to the Gods who seemed to have abandoned him. He blinked rapidly, gasping and writing and dizzy with sorrow.

"I can't-can't do it! I can't!" What he couldn't do had several interpretations, and was unclear even to him. He couldn't face his father or mother? He couldn't maintain his own sanity? He couldn't go home? …Yes! That was it! He couldn't go back home to face his parents after the showy display of madness he had exhibited to them. "They HATE me! They HATE ME! They HA-!" He coughed and choked on his own saliva before breaking down into hiccups.

Chaos chuffed and scanned the icy landscape, having run out of options. He had done all he could to appease the boy, but nothing could work now. The only thing he could do to pacify him was to take him to the nearest land mass and let the poor human rest.

"_Eet's alright_," he warbled loyally. "_I'll take care o' ya. And then we can go back home to our alphas and betas!"_

Testing the wind, Chaos dipped downward and landed on a gigantic mass of ice, quite similar to the trapper's fortress, but miles bigger, with tunnels and caves, where he entered without hesitation. Hiccup hardly even noticed their descent, let alone the scenery quickly enveloping the duo in its grasp. He just sobbed on and on until Chaos lost control trying to dodge stalagmites and stalactites, plummeting to a luckily grassy area where the tunnel opened up into the large center of the fortress. Only then did he stop to shriek as he was thrown from the saddle and sailed along head-over-heels, landing several feet away with a punitive thump.

"Guh!" He choked upon impact, the fall bruising the entire left side of him. Sniveling, he clutched his tender shoulder. "That **hurt**, Chaos!" He whined with a painful sniff. Having picked itself up from the clumsy dismount, the Deadly Fury puffed out a guiltily chuff and lowered his head as the boy rotated his arms to make sure nothing had snapped or rolled. Certain that he was physically intact; the youth sluggishly sunk onto the grass and buried his face in his scrawny arms. He was drained from the extensive use of adrenaline and crying his emerald eyes out. So, succumbing to his lethargy, he curled up into a tiny ball.

His stillness bred concern in his pet, and Chaos sniffed at the air in confusion to discover ever-more waves of despair spiraling off of his human like a cyclone. Warbling gently, he trotted forward and nudged at the boy's hair with his raven beak.

"Go 'way," Hiccup mumbled, concealing his head with his arms. "I-I don't wanna go-go back."

The Deadly Fury crooned, distraught that he had neither the smarts nor the mental capacity to mend his human. At first, he was resilient, but finally obeyed after a gentle shove to the maw sent him tumbling away several feet. With a defeated whine, he hung his spiky head and trudged away into a nearby icy tunnel to rest his weary wings. He would return when his human had calmed down some.

Hiccup jadedly exhaled and rested his aching side against the soft, frosty grass, too deadened to feel the cold immersing his body. "I don' wanna..." He whispered deliriously. "I don' _wanna_..."

...

...

...

"_**Grrrk**_?"

An abrupt flood of fury saturated Hiccup's veins, causing him to cringe and grit his teeth to the point of shattering at the sound. Clenching at the tufts of grass with his spidery fingers, the boy readied himself.

"Chaos," he growled, "I said to GO AW-!" He stopped shortly after scrambling up to give his beloved pet a thorough chastise, upon the realization that he was staring at his own reflection.

A pale blue, glassy wall was all he could make out in his short lie of sight, and he stared into it with wide, emerald eyes.

"W...Wha...?" When had _that_ appeared? Was he dreaming? Was this a vision?

The boy mumbled faintly after a heavy sniff, slowly reaching out with a trembling hand to brush against the icy blue surface. His fingers just barely graced it before it _moved_, and a gargantuan growl of irritation vibrated through his being, interrupting his ministrations. Hiccup jerked his away as if he had graced hot coals.

To his horror, his reflection shrunk as the thing drew away, and it was then when he realized that he had been staring into the eye of the most titanic dragon he had ever seen in his life.

Darkness was drawing near, causing the young couple to internally unnerve as they raced about, combing every island, panning every sea-stack, checking every cave they could in hopes of finding their son. But after hour upon hour had drifted by, they were beginning to become extremely restless and their hope was diminishing. The missing boy was bad enough, but now with the knowledge that these trappers were out there just added a layer of anxiety to tremor up their spines.

Astrid shivered as the glacial, frosty wind stung her bare arms. It was now that she regretted ditching her fur cape, which she usually brought along with her on these quests to protect her from the cold. She could only imagine how her son was holding up... He'd never run away for this long before, and she prayed with all her might that no harm would come to him.

Also distraught over her own missing baby, Stormfly squawked unhappily, misery written all over her habitually impassive scaly face. Astrid sensed the despair and shakily patted the top of the Nadder's head, making her fingers atypically quiver with cold.

"I k-know, g-girl," she whispered over the whistling of the wind. She shut her azure eyes and ducked her head behind the dragon's spikes to try and avoid the barrage of ice-flakes stinging her pale-white face. "I miss my baby too," she murmured, exhaling against her palms to try and warm them. "B-But, don't worry. We'll find them. B-Both of them, I-I swear."

"Astrid!" Came the muffled cry of someone in the fog. Astrid jerked her head up and squinted at the familiar approaching figure. Hiccup and Toothless.

"Hiccup!" She cried, waving her arms to guide him nearer. Once he was close enough, she shouted, "Did you see him?!"

The young man shook his head regretfully, rubbing his chilled sleeved arms with his equally frozen hands. "N-No! I'm guessing you didn't either?"

Astrid shook her head and drew her hands to her chest. "It's hard to s-spot YOU in th-this weather, let alone a little kid! T-This isn't good," she managed to decree through her chattering teeth. "I d-d-don't get where he could've g-g-g-gone! I've s-searched everywhere!"

Hiccup had an answer for her, and she could barely hear the dread in his nasally voice. "H-He must've gone farther beyond our maps."

The couple stared despairingly out into the uncharted, cloudy horizon, eerily beckoning them to venture further out to the edge of the world.

"I-I think if we're going to find him, w-we're going to need more support," Hiccup concluded, "Astrid, g-go back and g-get my dad. He'll round up other d-dragon riders and ships, and w-with all of us searching, w-w-we'll find Hiccup for sure! …B-Besides," he added as he watched her shiver, "you need to get warm. You'll catch your death out here!"

"Oh, and YOU won't?" Astrid gasped, furiously rubbing her shaking arms. Hiccup shrugged sheepishly and gestured to his traditional furry vest, and Astrid rolled her eyes. Fair enough. Though, she WAS conflicted between actually objecting his proposal and continuing searching for her son by his side, and following the guidelines. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, it took her a hasty moment to decide what to do.

"Fine," she complied, and Hiccup smiled with thanks, more for her sake than his. "But you better watch out for those trappers," she warned soberly. "Th-They weren't the friendliest bunch and Th-Thor knows y-y-you c-can't handle them without a weapon, n-no matter _how_ ferocious Toothless is," she added when the Nightfury warbled questioningly at her.

Hiccup nodded. "S-So is the sea stack s-still our meeting area?"

"Yes. Now go! I'll get your dad." And with that consensus, she swooped off at top speed, determined to get the reinforcement they undoubtedly needed to find her child.

"And don't forget to tell him about the trappers!" Hiccup shouted after her, because that was information he couldn't bear to withhold from his father, especially if said information could possibly seal the fate of his reptilian counterparts, village, and children.

"Alright, Bud," he murmured, giving a quick scratch to the Nightfury's head before steering him in the direction of the horizon. "Let's get my son back." The dragon chuffed in agreement, and within a matter of seconds they were racing off toward the dark fogs that withheld his child.

...

Hiccup hadn't processed that he had fallen back onto his haunches until his fingers rigidly clutched the frosty grass about him. He couldn't authentically register anything, not when the king of all creatures had decided to pay him a visit and peer down at him from its potent height.

It...It was magnificent…horrifying; magnificently-horrifying! Like a seasick sheep or somethin'. …An odd comparison, but that was all he could picture, given the current situation. The brute's size _alone_ dwarfed his island in comparison, and for the third time that day, Hiccup felt small and powerless. So utterly helpless. Conclusively at the mercy of this creature.

Soon, he found himself wishing pining for his parent's protection that he had harshly declined not long before.

The dragon stared him down with those ginormous, oddly sensitive eyes, bearing deep into his cloudy soul, making him feel bare and exposed to be scrutinized without his approval. With a tiny whimper, the little boy curled up into a defensive ball, dislodging his helmet in the process when his forehead touched his scrawny knees.

"_But why would it matter?" _He thought with terror. "_How could it protect me now?" _That dragon-if he could even call it that; it looked more like a monumental being that had escaped the home of Tyr-could squash him like an ant and carry about on its merry way before he could even try to escape. And with a gullet that immense—he could be swallowed like one of the many flies he'd accidentally inhaled whilst flying. Those impossibly oversized white tusks-they could spear his belly and tear him to shreds. And its shot limit-!

Hiccup gulped vociferously and squeezed his eyes shut, quaking in fear as he curled up tight upon the frosty grass. Even if there was such a thing as a shot limit relevant to a creature as daunting as that, his bones could burn to a crisp before he even knew what was happening. There wouldn't be a shred of evidence that he'd ever existed. His ashes would be charred into the earth.

"_I-It's like the Red Death," _the young boy realized, his stomach clenching uncomfortably and his head going fuzzy with fear. "_Daddy fought a huge dragon... I wonder if this is a sibling or somethin'...a cousin_?"

Another stomach-clenching grumble caused the boy to instinctively let out a shriek, and he nearly fainted as the monstrosity drew nearer, it's tusks overlapping the top of the cliff as it surged up to meet him.

"Urk," the Viking squeaked, tears coming to his eyes as the beast opened its gigantic maw. He tended, preparing for the mountain of flames that we're sure to consume him at any moment, but instead...a soft, cold breeze wafted through air, like a pleasant draft that frosted everything upon gentle impact.

Hiccup dared to open his terrified emerald eyes as the chill graced his being, frosting the exposed side of his body that wasn't curled up-painting it white. Letting out a huge exhale after realizing he'd been holding his breath, Hiccup slowly unfurled, cautiously peering up at the magnificent beast that was simply...staring at him. He gulped and tucked his hands against his chest, considering making a break for it if the dragon was just going to...sit there.

But...nothing was happening. The hydra appeared no more interested in him as a meal like he with his pet. It was...odd. It had settled with its webbed forepaws on the ground on either side where Hiccup lay, shadowing him. It inhaled through its mouth, and Hiccup could actually feel his body succumb to the vacuum pull of air. He let out a small yelp and dug his fingers deep into the earth, afraid that the hellion's choice of consuming its prey was too inhale it in and swallow it whole.

"N-No. Stop!" He shrieked when it leaned down, sniffing at him curiously. Forcing himself onto his shaking hands and knees, the aghast boy began to crawl away.

"**Grrk**..."

Hiccup could only let out a gasp of disbelief as something gritty and heavy pressed against his back and pinned his tiny form to the grass. He whimpered, daring to glance over his shoulder to find that the beast had used a single claw to hold him steady, and it looked like the beast wasn't straining in the least bit.

"N-No... Mommy..." The little boy cried as the pressure increased, and he finally succumbed to the tears of terror building up behind his eyelids. "M-M-Mommy... *hic* ...Mommy..." He whimpered, squirming helplessly beneath the gentle weight that could crush him at any given moment.

The boy gasped as the claw slowly lifted, the pressure inflicting his being momentarily decreasing. He sighed, relief flooding his erratic nerves before something cold and rough slipped beneath the area between his vest and tunic. It slid until the sharp point poked the back of his neck, and suddenly, he felt himself hovering fifty feet above the ground.

"...M-Mommy..." Whatever scream he tried to suppress was beyond stifling. A sharp cry echoed around the icy sanctuary, drawing the curiosity of hidden creatures deep within the icy caves. "AAAAAUUUUUGH!" He screeched, thrashing left and right as he was brought closer and closer to the mountain of a dragon. "HELP! HELP! CHAOS! _CHAOS_!"

A small but loyal squawk answered his wails and a tiny form came barreling toward the scene. As terrified as he was, Hiccup couldn't contain a smile from spreading over his crimson, tear-painted face. "Atta boy, Chaos!" He cheered, pumping his tiny fists in the air. "Up here, boy! Up here!"

Chaos ignored the harsh growl that vibrated through his being, advising him not to come any closer, but regardless of the warning, he pumped his wings ever faster to reach his human. When he was about ten feet away from his destination, the voice appeared in his mind.

"_What art thou doing, little one_?"

The raven-colored dragon, shocked by the blunt but gentle question, stopped short to hover before the magnificent beast. He wasn't expecting a verbal confrontation, but rather one of flames and fangs.

_"Why-That's mah human, that is!"_ Chaos answered with a garble, firmly enough to accentuate his confidence. "_You're scarin' the living stars outta him, so I've come to take him away!"_

The icy azure eyes of the mountainous dragon carefully gazed at the young deadly fury, the way-Hiccup hoped-wasn't the way a cat might scrutinize a mouse before consuming it. _"I know_," the beast answered quietly-or as quietly as he could manage, due to his size.

"_Then-Then let me take him-"_

_"I know his scent."_

...Scent? Chaos was horribly confused. Scent? What did the alpha mean about a scent? As far back as he had been born, neither he nor his human had ever come into contact with the giant, so how could said giant possibly recognize his rider? It was a troubling notion, troubling enough that he watched with uncertainty as his human cried and yipped, struggling helplessly. But even Chaos knew that his struggles would be futile, as there was nowhere to go but down.

_"Let me know it." _The alpha murmured with a deep rumble that vibrated throughout the entire sanctuary. "_I will inflict no harm upon thy creature."_

Chaoswanted to argue, but figured-with a tiny growl of defiance- that he wasn't in the best position to contradict. Instead, he flew up to his rider's height and gave him a reassuring nuzzle. "_It's okay, boy," _he comforted the crying child, grooming his bright scarlet, unkempt locks of hair. "_If the alpha does anything t' hurt ya, I'll save ya from his clutches_."

The gigantic dragon gave an amused snort of interest and dismissal. Chaos hissed angrily, but obeyed the order, gliding unsteadily over to a nearby perch so that he could watch whatever was going to happen unfold and make certain that no harm would befall his human.

Once the other intruder had made his clumsy retreat, the mountain of a dragon turned its attention back to its supposed "captive". It was almost amusing-the way that he held so much power over such a tiny little creature, but he knew he couldn't dwell too much on it... It's not what his human companion would have liked, seeing as to how she would have pertained to this tiny creature in relation.

With a reassuring warble, the beast lowered its claw down toward the pool of water to which it was stationed-frozen cold that neither mammal nor reptile could endure other than he and the rest of his kind. Not far from where he was resting was a small rock formation protruding from the pool, to which he set as gently as he could, the human.

Hiccup was as limp as a wet rag as he was being lowered, but as soon as his fingertips graced the solid rock, he clutched it like it was his lifeline. The dragon settled its claw back into the pool, creating a ripple effect that swelled the water levels and nearly engulfed the rock in which Hiccup was perched upon.

He shivered indifferently as the frigid liquid graced his skin and furs, wishing ever more that he was away from this place-maybe even back home, even though he was sure that his parents now hated him with a passion. The notion made him want to sink into the pool.

Instead, with his heart pounding, he cautiously lifted his head to grace the white beast, whose own gaze penetrated his own. His emerald eyes drank in the sight of the creature, and despite his current situation, he couldn't help but admire this marvelous dragon, and what his daddy would give to discover it.

"...Hi..." He whispered, internally shrinking in comparison to the dragon, which gave a frosty exhale in answer. Though the texture was sharp, Hiccup clutched the rock's surface to steady himself as he went from his pratfall position to an unsteady crouch. "Please don't eat me," he begged, regardless if the beast understood him or not. "Please don't! I'm sorry I snuck into your house-it won't happen again!"

The animal regarded him warily, and Hiccup gained the courage to stand on shaking legs.

Those eyes... They were bearing into his soul... They were...inquiring something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"_What's a tiny youngling such as thou doing so far from thy clutch?"_ The alpha questioned gently, trying his best not to frighten the human once more. Of course, the human probably couldn't understand his verbal onslaught of dragonese, but he DID reply. Probably not pertaining to the alpha's question, but the sound of his nervous hips and chittering. "_Where are thou sire? Thy dam?"_

"Now-Now look!" Hiccup began, not entirely sure what his point was to chastise the maximum reptilian, but perhaps, just perhaps, it would take the hint and leave him alone. But the odds of that actually happening weren't all that large in his favor.

"Look," he repeated, holding up his hands defensively. "If the tables were turned, I wouldn't try t' trap you. And I definitely wouldn't scare you half to death and hold you against your will. ...Not that I'm physically capable of doing that, but still."

The beast blinked and Hiccup sucked in a breath.

"You-You're getting me, right? We're on the same page? Right. Good." Glancing left and right, the boy rubbed his frozen hands together and clasped them awkwardly. Why was it that he was so calm in the midst of trappers and not here? Well, it must've been because he believed his kind to be so predictable. His was prepared amongst what was familiar to him. And here...? Forget it. He was just about as prepared as his siblings would be.

"Trapping dragons is _not_ my style ...That's what Eskimos do, not Vikings-er, not _Berkian_ Vikings." The beast blinked again, and Hiccup sucked in a breath. "So...with that in mind... I'll just be on my way."

The dragon took a start as the boy leapt into the freezing water without hesitation.

...

"Hiccup!" A gruff voice shouted above the wind. Stoick, coupled with Gobber and their dragons, was facing off against the onslaught of harsh winds of winter. "Hiccup!"

When Astrid had delivered the less-than-benevolent news, it was as the entire island had gone from the peaceful folks they had partially grown to be, back into the ruthless, angry warriors they were born as. Most of them were convinced that the dragon trappers had more to do with the case than Astrid had informed them, and they cried for the ships, their weapons, and dragons to confront them.

Thankfully, Stoick was there to pacify their fury, and agreed under Astrid's suggestion to round up all the riders available to join the search for the heir's son.

"Wait," the blacksmith inquired with a shout over the whistling of the wind. "Which Hiccup was it that we ah're searching for?!"

"Both!" Stoick hollered back, to which the other man nodded.

"Oh! Right! HICCUP!?" He shouted, cupping his hand and prosthetic around his mouth like a horn. "WHERE AH'RE YEH BOYS?!"

Stoick was beyond worried, coupled with the stress that both his son, daughter-in-law, AND grandson were missing, he could hardly bear the stress. "HIC-"

"Oi, STOICK!" Gobber abruptly shouted, pointing toward the sea. "LOOK!"

Gripping the reigns, the chief followed his gaze with hope in his heart, and it fell when he saw the ship. He let a growl escape his lips, much like the one that his dragon accentuated when he too saw the ship. "Down, Skullcrusher!" He ordered. "C'mon, Gobber!"

"Right behind ye, Stoick!"

And down they dove.

...

"For the last time, ya donkey, I do NOT have ANYTHING to do with your missing cretin!" Eret groaned for what seemed to be the hundredth time to the unrelenting young man before him. He hadn't expected this to happen: for Hiccup to not only return and evade his nets and bolas, but to outright accuse him of kidnapping his son.

"Perhaps instead of scouring the ocean looking for people to find as a scapegoat, you should take better care of your kid and keep 'im from running off in the first place. As any fine parent would," he added with a touch of relish, crossing his muscular arms.

"You're hardly in a position to judge my parenting skills," Hiccup barked, shoving a finger in his adversary's face. "I'm here because I want information."

Eret shoved his hand away. "I've told you-"

"I just want to know if any of your men-or yourself-have seen my son. You tell me that and I'll be on my way."

Eret seethed and stepped forward aggressively, causing the Nightfury to growl, but he ignored it. "Here we are, minding our own business, and a despicable lot of dragon riders trespass on my property. And you have the GALL to question me of anything?!"

The men behind him drew their spears and murmured amongst themselves with agreement. Hiccup opened his mouth to respond but the trapper beat him to it.

"You're revolting," he snarled, not unlike the many dragons he imprisoned, "-and childish, and we haven't seen your _annoyance_ of a son." Reaching out with a palm, Eret shoved his hand against the other male's shoulder, causing him to stumble backwards. "Now be on your way, you ignorant Viking!" He ordered, and his fellow trappers cheered in agreement and unison.

"We don't want anymore of your kind onboard!"

Hiccup was about to protest, but seeing as he was incapable of reaching some sort of resolve with these people, his fortitude dimmed. "Fine," he tersely replied, before turning on his heels and mounting his dragon. "But know that if I find out that you've been keeping him-"

_**THUMP **_"_Hiccup_!"

The lurid sound managed to capture the attention of everyone present, directing their gazes of confusion toward the sail-where the silhouette of a beefy man and a dragon graced their presence.

Eret was more than livid. "Good _TORNARSSUK_, another one?!" He whipped around to deliver a glare of death to Hiccup. "Just how many of you are out there?" Without waiting for a straight answer, (to which Hiccup was greatly relived) Eret stomped over to the figure with a sneer adorning his scarred face.

"You've landed on the wrong ship, mate," he growled, downright fed up with foreigners for not only invading his personal privacy, but also keeping him and his men from meeting their quota. Well, he wasn't about to be squandered, not this time.

The man stood tall with his arms crossed as the large figure dismounted the large beetle-like dragon and approached dauntingly. Eret's eyes widened ever so slightly. Another Viking. Great. "Well, while you're here, why don't we become acquainted? I am Eret, son of-humph?!"

Stoick the Vast had leaned forward only to shove the man's face away with one hand, sending him toppling to the ground with a thud. Though deterred, Eret tried to continue, "I'm-UFF!" This time, it was Grump, Gobber's dragon, who kept the head trapper pinned painfully to the ground under its solid weight. The other men backed away timidly. Eret strained with all his might, but he was well detained for the time being.

"Dad!" Hiccup breathed and dismounted Toothless, unsure if he should be thankful or if he should be running for the glaciers. He relaxed a bit as the original dragon riders (Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut) landed on board non-so gently, causing the trappers to shriek in surprise and Eret to gape.

"Did...Did Astrid-?"

"As you can see, she rounded up the other riders. The village; they're searching for your son as we speak," Stoick firmly assured the younger male, who sighed in relief.

Eret was too shocked to keep his mouth shut. "Are there-? There's a whole village of you dragon-lovers?! Seriously!?"

Ruffnut and Tuffnut snickered in unison. "Betcha didn't see that coming!" The male twin laughed.

"Heh heh. Yeah, we Berkians tend be pretty secretive. And when it comes to sneak attacks, we're nothin' short of elusive," Snotlout hissed mysteriously.

Eret slammed his face on the wooden deck and moaned. "The spirits must've cursed my day," the Inuit groaned, "for this to happen."

The Chief shot a glance at the poor blokes huddled near the stern of the ship and narrowed his woodland eyes. "I hope these men have nothing to do with our missing child," he growled, to which the trappers hurriedly shook their heads.

"Yeah, that's right," Snotlout sneered, hopping off of Hookfang to smash his fist into his palm menacingly. "I hope ya'll have been praying, 'cause no one picks on my little nephew but me!"

Tuffnut and Ruffnut snorted along with their overconfident male counterpart, while Fishlegs glared. He could personally commiserate with Hiccup over the dread of mislaying a child with his own adopted son, Clamlegs. So seeing the group of latent suspects caused the blood in his veins to boil.

The furred men shivered, some mumbled, while others chuckled nervously. It was clear that as brandished and hefty as they were, none of them were in the mood to put up a fight with an ever-increasing army of dragon riders, ironically enough.

"Nah, mate," one in the back of the group spoke up in his thick accent. "We don't take too kindly t' kidnappin' children."

Stoick looked unmoved. He kneeled down to a struggling Eret and gripped him by the long, black hair and yanked his head upward to face his own scowling one. "Are you definite?"

Eret clenched his teeth and hissed as his aching scalp burned. His large hands, although dwarfed in comparison to Stoick's, reached up to try and loosen the iron hold. "S-Stop it! I don't know w-AUGH!" Stoick had yanked hard.

"Spit it out!" He demanded, but Eret ignored him.

"STOP!" The men were getting restive at the sight of their leader being physically injured under the hand of the intruders; most of them had wielded their spears and were now aiming them threateningly at the Viking chief. Toothless and the other dragons sensed their dander and began to growl warningly.

"Y-You let me GO!" Eret strained. "My business-UGH-is my own!"

"Your "business" affects the durability of my tribe," Stoick growled back. "You should know by now that in the Archipelago, everything acts as an intricate machine. Move one piece and the calibration is off. You, _Eret son of Eret,_" he spat, "have altered one piece too many. And while we're on the notion, what's this I hear about a dragon army?"

Eret tensed up strikingly at that and shot a death glare at the younger man who stood by his Nightfury, looking quite uncomfortable by the sudden turn of events.

Hiccup bit his lip as the captive man squeezed his runny eyes shut and strained his entire body, as if trying to will the pain away. It was interesting, but it seemed as though no matter what the circumstances were or who the person in question was, it pained him to see others in peril.

"Dad..." He interrupted the interrogation quietly, "As interesting as the whole "dragon army" scheme sounds, I just want to find my son for now. And if they say they haven't seen him-under these circumstances, might I add..." He gestured to the crew, who were huddling nervously amongst the dragons. "I think we may have to grant them this one."

Eret's eyes popped open to stare at the younger man with incredulity. Hadn't he just been bent on breaking information out of-Oh. Well, he _was_ technically going to leave before the chief arrived. Hiccup's statement equally surprised the other Vikings.

"Whoa, wait a sec, Hiccup," Tuffnut interrupted with equal confusion. "Aren't these the dudes you saw just before yer kid disappeared?" Ruffnut nodded along with him, but seemed, weirdly enough, more captivated by the head trapper than the current predicament her friend was in.

"Oh, bullocks," Eret groaned, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "For the last time, we haven't seen your son! He could've flown off the edge of the world by now for Akna's sake!"

"Just saying!" Tuffnut defended, nonchalantly holding up his toned arms in defense. "Geez. Take a chill pill, buddy. Or better yet, just take Ruffnut. She's been staring at you all day." At this, Snotlout and Fishlegs visibly sagged.

"Him?" Snotlout whispered in disbelief, visibly shocked at the notion. "What is she thinking?"

"I know," Fishlegs agreed, equally as disappointed. He had been seeking hard for a wife that could fit the role as a loving mother for his son. "It was too good to be true."

Ruffnut whipped her head around to scowl at her twin before delivering a well-deserved sock to his shoulder. "Shut up, Butt-elf," she barked. "You wouldn't understand, but I've got a lotta things on my mind." She ignored the sickened look her brother gave her and directed a dreamy gaze back to the captive, actually blowing a kiss at him.

"Soon, you son-of-an-Eret," she snickered and he blanched.

"Alright. That's it. That's got to be the last straw for me," Eret grumbled. "All of you, off my ship! Vacate the premises! There's nothing for you here."

Stoick was resistant, but Hiccup interjected with a hand on his broad shoulder," Don't worry, Dad," he soothed. "With all of us working together, we're sure to come across him sooner or later. And if we don't..." He narrowed his eyes at Eret. "...we'll be back."

The Chief still looked uncertain, but he complied with his son's wishes and released the bout of raven hair from his grip, causing Eret's face to slam into the deck. "OW! ...Blasted Vikings... May you cross paths with Amarok…ow…"

"Fair enough," Stoick finally agreed, wiping his hands on his tunic. "We'll deal with this "dragon army" problem later, as much as it irks me to say it." The last bit was clearly aimed at his son, who shrugged with a sheepish grin. "Everyone up in the air!"

"Right, Chief!" The young adults and Gobber loudly replied before their dragons jolted in the air.

Stoick looked to the men and said, "Don't think that you're getting out this just yet. I have lookouts watchin' you as we speak. We'll meet again to discuss this "army" of yours." Eret scowled and rubbed his aching scalp.

Content that his message got across, Stoick looked to his shuffling son expectantly. "You too," he reminded him. "Join the group."

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah...about that..."

...

Back in the magnificent icy fortress, the white monster of a dragon watched on in bewilderment as the tiny mammal tread through the frigid waters of his personal pool. He hadn't expected the little human to be so persistent to escape. At his great height, it looked more like a baby mouse trying to best a vast ocean.

"_Where art thou going, little one?"_ He crooned, reaching out with a gargantuan claw to pluck the now sopping wet, shivering youngling out of the water before it could reach the rocky shore. "_Thou mustn't leave just yet. Thou will catch thy death of cold."_

Hundreds of feet in the air and completely at the mercy of the beast once again, Hiccup began to cry, thrashing about as he hung suspended above the icy landscape. The sea-dragon was mystified, and it was evident that his subjects were too, for the majority of them were creeping out of their resting places and hiding spots to scrutinize the tiny figure their alpha had caught.

Unnerved by his rider's fear, Chaos ached to zip up to him and perform a rescue, but...the alpha had promised that he wasn't going to hurt him. Perhaps he was going to heal him! Chaos relaxed a bit. Yes, _that_ had to be it.

The alpha searched around for a bit to find the perfect nest that he could set his new human pet to roost. He understood that humans worked well with warmth and were very picky when it came to resting grounds. So, he decided that the only place the human could find comfortable was not a natural addition to his icy fortress.

Perplexity turned to pity as the alpha watched the youngling cry continuously with waves of fear radiating off of his shivering form. Instead of carrying it by the scruff of fur on its back, it had latched the tiny patch of soft fabric covering the boy's tummy, lifting him up so that he was facing the "sky" instead. Tiny, cold, and pale-white fingers graced his claw, clutching at it densely.

"_Do not be afraid, little one," _the alpha soothed softly_. "I shall take care of thou as thy sire's dam had unto me_."

So, with great care, the dragon heaved himself out of his pool and balanced himself on three legs as he carried the human over to the one place where he knew it would be safe: the roost of his prior human companion.

Gently, he placed the little humanoid onto the soft massif of furs that his cohort had left behind. He removed his claw once the youngster was securely situated, and moved off a bit to watch and see what it would do. The other dragons let their inquisitiveness take over and skulked toward the edge of the roost to watch as well.

Hiccup didn't dare move until he was sure that he was safe from harm. A gentle rumble encouraged him to lift his head from his arms to stare wide-eyed at the masses of dragons that had come to pay him a visit. They were so diverse, so colorful, and so much more vibrant in personality than what he was used to back on Berk.

The dragons were creeping closer, and the boy stood stock-still as one of the particularly brave reptiles came forward and nudged its scaly nose against the side of Hiccup's face and inhaled his scent, careful not to disturb the carefully arranged pile of furs.

"H-Hi there," the boy squeaked, somehow gaining the valor to lift a trembling hand and press it against the space between the dragon's yellow eyes. It grunted in response but lost interest quickly; another soon took its place to meet the boy. And another. And another. And another. Under the watchful eye of the dominant leader, each of its subjects graced the youngling with its presence, to tell it that all was well and it was safe.

With each passing beast, Hiccup grew less and less afraid until he was brave enough to smile, even giggle as some of the dragons playfully nipped at his scarlet hair and nuzzled him. "Y'all aren't as scary as I thought," he commented aloud whilst stroking the beak of an unrecognizable species. "Practically as tame as the ones back at...home..." He lowered his eyes.

The dragon merely squawked in response before taking off with a flap of its razor-like wings, leaving the boy to ponder upon this fascinating discovery. "And to think that we could've come to blows at a time..." He murmured, dragging his fingers through his long scarlet tresses.

What an interesting fact, that shortly before he had come into the world, man and beast were foes. But now things had turned for the better. Hiccup smiled proudly. And it was all because of his-... His smile faded. Erm. Anyway...

These dragons were oddly complacent in the company of a human being. It was as if they had seen his kind before and had some sort of capacity to regard him as harmless...and maybe… possibly respect him? Hiccup was in awe. He picked himself up and steadily walked to the edge of the cliff in where he was perched, and drank in the beauty of his surroundings.

There were hundreds-no, _thousands_ of dragons all happily resident in this ice kingdom, and in the center of it all: the tusked alpha, which Hiccup supposed, ruled all he surveyed. Did that make it some sort of monarch?

"You're a king..." Hiccup whispered in awe. "Er-Or queen. Whatever works."

But anyway, what _was_ this place? Why weren't the dragons wary of him as he was of them? Why hadn't the giant dragon-er, the king, eaten him? There were so many questions that he could never answer on his own merits. With a disappointed sigh, he headed back to the pile of furs and took a seat, lazily tracing the soft lining of the furs with his pale digits, and then it hit him: what were these skins doing here all folded up nice and neat?! And were those woolen pillows?

Hiccup drew himself up in surprise and got to his feet to absorb his knew surroundings. The rather spacious area he was stationed at was encased with ice, with seldom greenery to be found. Looking closer, he realized that not only were there furs, but other humane supplies, like pots, jars of what he guessed were old herbs, and on a block of ice that supposedly served as a shelf or desk, lay and array of intricate weapons...and a staff that leaned against the wall of ice.

With a sharp intake of breath, it didn't take long for the young Viking to connect the dots. Someone-a human-had lived here, or was currently residing here! Hiccup jumped up, his curiosity peaked as he ran about, touching everything he could get his hands on.

The alpha watched in amusement.

"Wow," the boy whispered, taking the strange looking staff in his tiny hands. "Who's is this? _What_ is it?" But of course, nobody could answer that question save for the person who owned it. With a tiny smile, he gently set the staff back against the ice.

Well, this explained why the dragons were so placid around him; they had already been acquainted with humans-they were familiar with them. Hiccup grinned widely. This was huge news! Imagine, whoever resided in this place most likely had garnered precious information for however long he or she had resided in this fortress, and judging by the state of everything around him-he or she had been her for much longer than anyone could imagine.

"This is amazing!" He gushed, tangling his fingers in his hair out of pure excitement, which the mountain of dragon that was watching him could sense, and he puffed proudly.

"I've gotta meet whoever lives here, no matter how batty or weird they are!" Hiccup cheerfully proclaimed, because although it was ethical to enjoy the company of dragons it was immoderate to live among them as a hermit, because...well...humans normally didn't work that way. They were highly sociable creatures and needed the company of other humans in order to properly function in society.

Hiccup beamed up at the alpha, not exactly frightened of it now that he knew that it would do him no harm. "I don't know if you can understand me, but I need to meet this guy. He must be like some sorta wicked warrior Viking with the agility and strength of a dozen Knights. Maybe he knows jiujutsu!" He laughed at the notion and crossed his arms dreamily.

"Wouldn't that be something..." He mused; unaware of the sadness that had gradually befell the alpha. It was if the mood of the beast had changed entirely: from one of regal amusement, care and passion, into something of grim sorrow and despair, and particularly one of mourning. It let out a sort of sorrowful drone, expelling frosty air from its maw in the process, which caught Hiccup's wavering attention.

"No fire?" He gasped, reaching up touch one of the ice crystals. "How…?"

To his surprise, the other dragons picked up in the alphas despair and joined in with cries of their own, uniting all of their voices into a sick, sorrowful melody of internal pain. Hiccup took a start, sensing that something was wrong.

"What...? What's going-?" He stepped back as the alpha approached him, his heart pace quickening quite a bit at the inevitable. "Not _again_..." He whined, stumbling back into a patch of green foliage.

It was his own clumsiness that caused Hiccup to trip over a protruding root and fall elbows-first onto the ground, coming face to face…with a human skull.

...

_"Not again_," Stoick firmly declared for the final time to his ever-stubborn son. "You're not going off on your own-just to get lost and have us save you from something else!"

It was Hiccup who was persistent to go search for his boy as a separate entity of the group, like another search party all to himself. "You won't have to," he insisted. "I had everything under control before you showed up." To the side, he ignored Eret's exaggerated scoff.

Out of desperation, he hoped his father would understand why he was making such a request. Hiccup wanted to be the one to find his son, not because he didn't want the others to have the honor, but because he wanted to get the chance to confront the boy directly before the others (even Astrid) got to him. He wanted to try and get him to understand, and most importantly, to try and understand HIM for a change. There was a wall the size of Fort Sinister dividing them, and he wanted to be the one to demolish it that day in order for them to reconcile.

If there was ever a time he had felt guilty for yelling at his children, it couldn't compare to what he felt now. The guilt for being so angry with his son was churning his insides, bashing his heart with self-destructive thoughts that he knew he deserved. For yelling at him when he had tried to explain. There was a better way to handle the situation, but he _had kept going_, which eventually pushed his child over the edge. Hiccup felt his stomach clench in displeasure. He needed to reconcile the violence in the heart of his son. He wanted to recognize him for who he truly was underneath all of that frustrated ire.

"_I want to recognize his beauty, not just a mask."_

"Besides that, I'm twenty-two years old now, in case you haven't noticed yet, Dad. I've got kids of my own."

The older man smiled dangerously. "Oh, don't worry. I've noticed plenty." Hiccup averted his gaze from the Chief's for a moment before he fired another retort that, in Hiccup's opinion, fell rather flat. "Don't forget us when you ascend the throne."

"I won't," the young man promised before adding, "You might want to withdrawal your enumeration from Fishlegs, since, you know, I don't need a babysitter anymore." Stoick rolled his eyes to the sky while Eret let out another scoff that went ignored.

Hiccup's gaze softened and he tried to wallow his pride. "Dad," he murmured. "I…I want to confront him. Because… I did something very wrong." His once averted gaze rose to meet his father's. "As a dad…please understand. This is something I need to do, not just for my sake, but his too."

Stoick crossed his arms, and Hiccup was relived to see that he looked thoughtful.

"…"

"…"

"…Aw, just let him go, ya numpty!" A man in the back shouted.

Stoick whipped his head around to scowl at the man in irritation before he finally gave in, much to his son's surprise. "…Fine, you can go on your own," the chief sighed in irritation. "If we find anything, we'll use the Nightfury call to notify you."

Hiccup smiled and reached out to put a hand on the older man's broad shoulder. "Thanks dad."

"Just promise me that if you find him, you'll BOTH return with more than one limb intact," Stoick said.

Hiccup grinned warily and hopped upon his Nightfury, who snorted. "I won't promise anything for myself," he cogitated. "But for him, I swear to Thor I will bring him home safely." And with that said and done, both he and Toothless took off into the air, leaving a very disgruntled Cheif and crew of dragon-trappers, who glared at him expectantly.

"Have no worries," he assured them with a flippant wave. "I'm on my way. Remember what I said: we'll be back to discuss your "business"."

"Hmph," Eret snorted, folding his arms as the Viking flew off to regroup with his search party. "Good luck and good riddance, you old bloke."

...

**Author's Note: What a turn of events! Hiccup IV has discovered not only the sanctuary of the great Bewilderbeast, but that a human lived among them as well! I wonder whom? ;) **

**And if anyone's confused about Stoick's lenient attitude towards the whole "dragon army scheme", we can only assume it was because Astrid failed to mention Dragon Bludfist to him. Otherwise, Stoick would have been up in a tizzy trying to protect his island! Right now, he doesn't consider the trappers as serious obstacles.**

**As always, please please PLEASE leave a review, follow, and favorite! I promise I'll be quicker to update, and I am again truly sorry about the wait. Hopefully the promise of death (an unexpected one at that, since it's not Stoick) will pacify you all.**

**We're actually close to the end... The ACTUAL end... **

**Until next time, Fanrats!**


	18. Ruse Over Run

**Author's Note: Hello everyone, and welcome back to another chapter of Mishap by Mug. Now I know what you're thinking, "FINALLY SHE'S BACK! WHAT'S SHE BEEN DOING, THIS LAZY GIRL!?" Well I'll let you all know that my schools finals are coming up so I've been busy studying for that, not to mention that I've been working a lot at my after school job, and on artwork and T-shirt designs that I'm planning to sell. Maybe even Mishap by Mug themed, I don't know. ;)**

**So I'm terribly sorry about the wait because I know how painful it is to wait for a story that you really like (nobody knows that better than me, like one of the stories I've been waiting to finish has been going on since 2011. It's been THAT LONG). And since it is been a while since I've updated the story I am taking the time to reply to everyone who has reviewed the last chapter. Thank you all for your support!**

**Commence Ze responses:**

**Guest: Your reviews always make me smile. ;) **

**Boyscouts83712: I will, don't you worry about that! We've still got a chapter or two to go! The big finale is coming, so hold onto your hats! Because...you're gonna fall over and it's gonna fall off. Courtesy of Jontron for that lame little joke.**

**Adplacement: ...What in the name of might?!**

**GuardianOfAzarath: Thank you for your input! It's always great to hear from you, whether it is many times or just once, you manage to always put a smile on my face. ;D See? Furthermore, you mentioned the speed of decomposition and how the timeline doesn't add up. Well, the duration it takes for a dead body to rot depends on various factors, any of which may affect the necessary time it takes to break the body down. If a dead body is inside a coffin and buried deep underground for instance, the body could even take 50 years for every tissue of the body to disappear. However, if the body is exposed to the elements, (the decaying process will be very fast. The most important thing to remember in decomposition is the exposure of the dead body to bacteria. In order to survive, bacteria need oxygen and are found in large concentrations in water. Therefore, if a dead body is exposed to water or air, then it will dramatically decompose. Insects and animals will feed on tissues if a dead body is exposed to them, and this also quickens the process. The exact time differs. When a person's heart stops pumping blood to the body, the cells and tissues are denied oxygen and rapidly start dying. Substantial decomposition mostly occurs in the course of two weeks, and the body's soft tissues start disintegrating even with preservation. If the body does not get enough protection from the elements, it can even skeletonize in a space of a year. However, the teeth and bones can last even for a hundred years if the soil is not highly acidic and warm. So the case I've written is possible, just sped up to complement my timeline. And I'm not trying my best to make it as scientifically accurate as possible, 'cause where's the fun in that? Hah! And as for Stoick finding out about Drago, don't worry. We're gonna see the both of them duel it out soon. ;)**

**Parslynogoo: Thank you! It was very fun to write the relationship between Hiccup and the Bewilderbeast. Because you have this mountain of an animal that can't speak human language, but is still a wise figure. Imagine the size of that brain! Although, it depends, for size isn't everything.**

**CassandraDayTree: Huh, you're right! I don't think the alpha actually had a name. I always assumed Valka addressed him as "King" "you highness" "lord" or something cheesy like that, haha. Maybe Hiccup CAN name him, who knows?**

**Noname: Valka is...somewhere that we can only dream about. You know, I always personally hoped that she would end up in Hel, rather than the everlasting paradise of Valhalla. ;) But that's something I can only dream (or write) about.**

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: Oh you, you silly sod of mine! XD remember that joke? Anyway, I'm so glad you enjoyed the last chapter, because I personally found it a pain in the behind to write. The dialogue especially. I must have gone back and written every single line a few times to make it sound just right and even now I want to make changes.**

**Tide Pool Angel: Pfft. Screw Valka. Screw her and every hypocritical one-sided crum that she stands for! Ahem. Sorry. I'll admit: I don't like her as much as most people, mainly because she abandoned her child, and I find no reason to justify that, unless she was being held prisoner and unable to go back, which she wasn't. Anyway, no worries about your first review with de cussing of ze words. We all make mistakes. Me especially. I'm glad you came back to write another review! :D It always makes me smile and encourages me to write more! **

**Secret love writer: Yeah, we're all sad about her. Not me though. MWHAHAHAHAHhahahahha! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.**

**And please keep your language clean in the reviews. Thank you once again, and I'll talk to you all later.**

**Chapter Eighteen: ~Ruse over Run~**

...

Oof, the _odor: _who'd be able to overlook that rotting, festering stench, carelessly preserved by the frigid air and infesting the area with its putrid reek? Hiccup knew he couldn't, gagging as he was. His emerald eyes adjusted then and he gawked at the skull, all layered with the beginnings of frost, bits of preserved flesh, and of maggots that wriggled aimlessly around whatever canal were available for them to explore. Vacant eye sockets gaped soullessly back at the boy, and the unhinged jaw gaped wide, as if its owner had expired shouting. On top of that gruesome detail, the unhurried army of disturbed maggots emerged from the jawbone, wriggling and chewing with their invisible but carnivorous mouths. His stomach lurched and his throat constricted at the creatures.

Hiccup opened his own mouth to scream at the revolting sight, but his breath hitched and all that came out was an inaudible squeak. "Urk..." He lurched, stomach clenching squeamishly. A moment passed where he sat dazed until he came to his senses and bounded away with a sharp shriek, startling the mourning dragons.

Kicking his emaciated legs, he scrambled further and further away from the decaying corpse, nearly tripping over his own hands and feet in the process until his back smacked against a conspicuous wall of ice. Immobile, his chest heaved with shock.

The alpha watched the frightening act with saddened eyes, temporarily unable to comfort the boy due to his own distress.

"O-Oh no," Hiccup stammered, clutching his collar when he tried to control his breathing. As brave as he usually claimed he was, tears of shock gathered at the corner of his eyes. "N-Not! Thi-THAT-!"

Of all the things he had been expectant to see in the reservation, he had not envisaged to come face-to-face with the skeleton. "M-Muh-Mommy!" He involuntarily stuttered, frantically wiping his hands on his furry vest. "W-What_ happened?!" _

Contrary to popular belief, although he was being raised up in medieval Viking society that scrapped and scrambled for survival, he'd never seen a dead body-at least, not one that had been decomposed to the extent of the one before him.

Berk always sent their deceased onto a pyre days after the person's death so they didn't have time to rot. Unless they'd died from the accursed plague, which was a becoming a slight problem on the mainland, it wasn't an awful sight.

"H-Help," the seven-year-old cried again, stumbling into the pile of furs, fearing the worst-pertaining to the _cause_ of that person's death. It was a bit much for any child, Viking born-and-raised or not. A child was a child. "I w-want my muh-mama!"

A gargantuan but soft rumble answered his plea, and Hiccup, shaken by the face of death, buried his tear-painted face in his knees and sobbed. "Ma-Mama!" He blubbered. "I want my mama!"

He carried on like that for a good while, but not one human answered his cries. The dragons made no move to help him either; they were animals, after all. It was then that he finally accepted that he was on his own and that nobody could help him. Nobody could conceal the view of this dead person, and nobody could help explain to soothe the amount of questions bashing around in his mind.

Who was this person and how had he or she (he supposed it was a she, judging by the outfit it was wearing at the time of her death) succumbed to such a fate? His breath ragged and his pallet fading as time dragged on, Hiccup peered fearfully up at the dragons from his curled position and swallowed hard. Never in his life did he want to be at home more than this.

"D-Did you-?" He puffed, locking his teary emerald eyes with the dismayed alpha. "Did _you _do that?!" He pointed an accusatory finger before choking out, "Y-You-You _squashed_ her, didn't you!?" That was terrible news, because if the dragons had killed that human, there _had_ to be more victims! And if that was the case, what was to stop them from killing _him_?

"You're bad!" He bawled bashing his fists upon the frosty grass while the alpha looked on pleadingly, at a total loss as to what he should do. The child was inconsolable. "You are a-a B-BAD dragon! You're a BAD dragon and you HURT her!" The boy hoarsely cried.

Of course, this woman must have been a lovely meal, carefully selected by the alpha and dropped into this little cove of brush and furs to be eaten by said alpha's subjects. This was the death zone, the place in which humans were eaten, in which the torment would begin. At least that's what Hiccup believed as he sat there wide-eyed and terrified. To him, the fate of being picked apart and eaten alive by dragons and left only as a solitary skeleton was inevitable.

Thank the Gods that his bladder was empty, or things would've become very messy. At that point, Hiccup was so frightened that he began to dribble and all color abandoned his freckled complexion. "I d-d-don't want to d-die," he stuttered, almost unintelligibly as he shook.

His fearful thoughts were deeply persuaded though, when the terrible beasts began a song of sorrow. The dragons crooned and wailed, arching their necks and sheathing their claws, almost as if in mourning, he realized with fearful surprise. He scrutinized, trembling as they progressively approached the body and bowed their heads while keeping a respectable distance.

Hiccup swallowed hard and ran a shaking, perplexed hand through his burgundy locks. For a pack of animals, they sure knew how to show reverence for their kill, didn't they? And if that was the case, who _was_ that person? Whoever is was must have been someone really special to the reptiles of the icy sanctuary. He perked with great interest. Was it possible that there could be other dragons in this place like those on Berk? Where that at least _some dragons_ showed some respect for humanity?

Well, it wasn't as if he could ever find out since the dragons weren't talking... A shame, really. He personally would've liked to meet this fellow who seemed to have swayed these reptilian monsters.

A shocking thought hit him. Unless the person...was a master rather than a conquerer? Well, it...it was possible. In this place? Sure, but...

"Was-Was that your friend?" He quietly and curiously inquired the alpha, who blew a fine icy most onto the area, offering it a frostier manifestation. Hiccup shivered and dusted off his furry vested shoulders. All this ice; was it the alpha's idea of preserving the area? Hiccup wrapped his anorexic-thin arms around his lithe self, the image of the skeleton that was once a human sucking whatever wunderkind this place had adopted.

This was no Valhalla, no abode of perfection or happiness. 'Neath the veil of wondrous sights and stunning landscapes, this place had a dark secret within it. The air reeked with the stench of death, like Berk's slaughterhouse. The conception was a bit too contrived for a small child such as himself to handle, and his reaction was likewise.

"I-I think...I wanna go home now." He mumbled, shakily getting to his feet and wiping his nose clear of mucus. "I want muh-my mama."

Keen on making his escape with Chaos, he made an attempt to make his way to the brush and slip through the radar of the smitten minds, to which he failed when a certain growl that _didn't _belong to the alpha halted his ministrations. He froze instantly, quickly learning that it was the safest thing to do, and that responding with anger to an aggressive animal was on the opposite end of the spectrum.

"No..." He whimpered defensively and abashedly flattened himself onto the soft cold ground, trying to make himself look harmless when the subtle padding of paws approached. A large, cold, scaly snout sniffed at his ticklish neck, and he squirmed in spite of himself as a large set to the dragged lever his scarlet locks, shining them with saliva. It was all he could do to keep from retching in disgust. The mystery creature chuffed and lifted its head, and Hiccup had just enough courage to peer over his shoulder to stare into a weathered face of a dragon.

He'd never seen the likes of this creature before; a colorful reptile with huge eyes, four wings rather than the common two, and a face with a strong resemblance to an owl... His fears slowly melted somewhat to be replaced by riveted curiosity toward this avian being.

"H-Hello," the young Viking nervously greeted without moving. He didn't expect the dragon to gurgle sadly and move away from the tiny human to slump close to the skeleton and nudge it lovingly. Hiccup squinted in confusion. "What the-?" He murmured under his breath before getting to his knees.

The seven-year-old watched with wide eyes at this affectionate act before cautiously approaching with a confusing feeling in his gut. How was this supposed to be a bloodthirsty killer? It wasn't supposed to cry over its prey! He crawled over to the beast, only stopping when it snarled at him half-heartedly before thumping its head to the ground, letting out a sorrowful wail.

Hiccup watched as the alpha tried to comfort the agonized owl-face with soft croons, but it didn't budge. It looked like it preferred to stay by the body. Whoever she was, he sympathetically concluded, that dragon must've been its friend; its _really_ good friend.

"H-Hey boy, or girl," the youngster whispered, slowing his usually abrupt movements as to not startle the irritable beast. He reached out a tiny had to brush against the flank of the dragon. "Are you alr-"

The dragon _snarled_ before the tiny, shaking hand came into contact with its scales. The abrupt, angry sound caused the young boy to stumble backward, and not taking any chances, curled up into a ball. The draconic outburst echoed precariously around the sanctuary, causing everyone in its wake to freeze upon hearing it, and after the last of its notes had died out, one of ridiculous proportions took its place.

The roar exerted by the alpha was _deafening_, and Hiccup felt like he was going to faint from the mere power of the bellow. Dragons everywhere scurried away, knowing better than to defy their leader. Some dove into the water, other took refuge in the caves, while hatchlings huddled with their parents, who groomed them soothingly. The owl-faced party received the brunt of the chastisement, and he flattened himself to the ground, belly flopping away from Hiccup and the skeleton of his dear friend. Once the last echoes of the roar had died, the alpha scolded his subject with a harsh snort that exerted a puff of cloudy ice, warning him to not treat their guest like an enemy.

Hiccup cautiously uncovered his ears with trembling hands once the beloved silence resumed, save for the soft croons of dragons. He gazed fearfully at the one that had snarled at him. It had curled up into a guilty coil upon the frosty ground, making no noise whatsoever, and Hiccup was surprised to find that its former intimidating aura had disappeared because of the display of vulnerability.

Nervously, the young child crawled over to the not-so-gentle-giant and cautiously petted its scaly face. He felt it necessary to pay his respects to such a pitiful yet amazing creature. But what do say to a beast that couldn't understand Norse? "I-I'm sorry you lost your friend, Mr…ehm..V-Vän…oss?" he offered lamely. "I'm sorry you're sad. I'll bet she was nice, whoever she was."

The owl-face chuffed sadly but made no move to embrace the adolescent Viking's affectionate touches.

"_Why are __**you**__**here**__?"_ It crooned. "_How…how could sh-she haunt me like this?" _The now dubbed "Vänoss" shifted its head to gaze upon the scarlet-haired child with giant eyes, contemplating the presence of this unfamiliar yet conversant human. The tiny digits stroked its sensitive tendrils at the top of its head, causing it to twitch in slight discomfort.

_"__It isn't a part of her. And it never will be. Never will be. Never will be,"_ the four-winged dragon gloomily repeated, but the human stroked on, murmuring affectionate condolences in that strange garble of his.

_"__Hush,"_ the alpha gently affirmed with a deep but soothing rumble. _"Thief, thou must give it a chance as thou did for its sire and its sire's dam."_

The dragon was practically delirious. _"__No…N-No…" _It strained, trembling uncontrollably_. "Never ever…Never a part of her…Never."_

_"__Thief, you are loving," _the alpha crooned, regally closing his pale eyes and exhaling his icy breath. If only he were a bit smaller, he could nuzzle his subject without hurting it._ "Be a loving dragon once more," _he whispered. _"Don't despair. Love once more. It is was she would want."_

If Vänoss, or Thief, could produce tears of agony, it would have. Instead, it wailed, and the Alpha felt a pang in his hear, which happened every time a subject of his was disheartened. Thief had been like this ever since his human had "passed on" so to speak, and had "given" her body to the ground.

"_My fault...mine...my fault...I'm bad...bad...bad..." _The dragon whined, squeezing its blood-shot eyes shut. _"No love...no love for me...from me...bad, bad, bad."_

Ever since the "incident" ensued, he'd been a despondent heap of scales with virtually no personality at all. The only thing that Thief took pride in anymore was guarding the body of his beloved, to which he took the task intricately serious. Any mice, rats, or birds would be roasted on sight, to which he would snack on IF he felt content enough to do so. He would not allow any vermin to rest in charred messes near his decomposing human.

_"I protect my human who protected our own,_" he thought dully, resting his head next to the threads of remaining hair.

Thief Vänoss lay there unresponsive to the world, but it wasn't long before the depressed, gloomy creature began to warm up to the warm-blooded human touch that he so desperately missed. It was nice to feel the touch of a human. It lacked sharp claws and always found the right places to make him happy.

"I-It's alright…" Hiccup murmured, dragging his hands over the smooth, colorful scales. "I'm sorry I got too close to your friend." The dragon rumbled his regrets as well, and dragged his slimy tongue over the human's head, despite its hasty protests.

Hiccup grimaced good-naturedly and stuck out his tongue, wiping away as much dragon spit as he could out of his now-gleaming locks. He would have stayed longer, but the threat of danger was still looming overhead.

"_Daddy was right_," an indignant voice whispered to him. "_You need to go back home._"

Hiccup shuddered at the image of his parents' furious faces and tried to think of something else. Despite the mourning exerted by the reptiles, he didn't know HOW this person died. It was a risk he wasn't really willing to take, especially after the alpha had showed him just how easily he could be squashed. "I wish I could help more, but I need to go back to my own friend," he explained quietly and apologetically, thinking of poor Chaos, who was probably screeching up a storm searching for his rider, wherever he was.

The bemused dragon lay limp and didn't respond at first, but after Hiccup gave him one last pat and disappeared into the brush, Thief Vänoss lifted his head and let out a dismayed moan.

...

_It was a dreadful winter. One so debauched that even the fish in the oceans decided to journey further downstream and hide in warm underwater caves and lay their eggs, leaving their marauders to starve in the cold clutches of the season._

_In the draconic haven, hot springs were cramped to the rims with shivering hatchlings and parents were desperate to feed themselves and their offspring. Tempers rose as tummies growled and churned with hunger, and hostile amongst even the closest was born. _

_The stability of the habitation was crumbling, and even the alpha, the wisest of them all, was vexed. His subjects were going mad with malnutrition and were starting the trend of riotously attacking each other, ravenous for the taste of flesh. In their hunger-stricken minds, the difference between fellow reptile and fish was waning into oblivion. _

_Something had to be done, but spring was approaching soon, the alpha reasoned. Perhaps if they held on for just a little bit longer. He grunted and withheld his icy breath for the sake of his freezing subjects. But if they couldn't hold on, if they couldn't contain the animalistic urge to survive, many would suffer and die. What to do? What to do?_

"My Liege," _came the deep but soft, feminine voice from the rarest creature in the sanctuary. Her presence fleetingly distracted the giant from his unsettled concerns and his pale eyes flickered down to discover her crouched with her head bowed in respect. He drew himself up and inwardly smiled, although a personal pang of distaste struck his heart._

"Salutations, Disowner," _the alpha greeted empirically, although she could not understand him and he could not understand her. _"Have thou come to request thy leave?" _Ever since she had come to this place, he could smell that she had given birth recently and had hatchlings waiting for her, but shockingly enough, she never made a move to return to them. She didn't care enough for them; he knew that for sure since she laughed and smiled day after day without a care, doing no good for her own species. Attacking them, training his subjects, and even him to fire at her kind in a twisted attempt to help his own. A very one-sided dogged creature, he concluded disapprovingly, as he watched her carry on with her stormcutter companion deprived of a single care. He admired her resilience, but she would come to a grimy end soon enough, the cowardly fault she was, he predicted with an icy sigh. _

_So her regarded her, the petite human, and he leaned down close to inhale her resilient scent. He was surprised to find that robust waves of fear were rolling off of her like she was an subzero fjord._ "What's wrong, Disowner?" _He inquired with slight worry. _

_In his home, she was infrequently, if not all, frightened by anything._ _But now she was garbling in trepidation, beads of sweat gathering all over her body. _"Things are spiraling out of control_," she trembled, clutching her signature staff like a vice. _"Out of yours, o-out of mine." _She turned away, and it seemed as if she were speaking to herself when she muttered, _"It can't go on. This-This madness can't go on. Cloudjumper; he's been acting so strange."

_Her lips were trembling, noted the alpha, and she soon was nearly inaudible._ "I-I never thought I would grow afraid of him," _she whispered softly, almost in disbelief, _"but—the way he looks at me…he's so **hungry**."

_..._

As Hiccup charily tread over the grassy cliff-side, he tried to accept that the alpha would watch his every move wherever he was, wherever he went, no matter where he was. It was a little more than uncomfortable to be stared at, to be deprived of privacy of any kind in this place. And he thought his DAD was overbearing; this was plain ridiculous! He felt like a circus ant—if there was ever such a thing, under the looming stare of the oversized massif of a dragon.

But he couldn't worry about that now as he had bigger fish to fry. "Chaos?" He called, cupping his hands around his mouth like a horn. "Where are you, boy?!" A couple of Nadders here, a bout of Nightmares there, but not one Deadly Fury.

Hiccup bit his lip. "Oh, Chaos; where did you go?"

It was tough to locate a single entity out of a giant population. There were thousands of dragons, and some of them perked their ears at his voice, but Chaos was nowhere to be found. Hiccup furrowed his brows and pouted, his fists clenched at his sides. How was he going to find his pet? And more importantly, how was he going to get out of this-this _perdition_ if Chaos was left unveiled?

Hiccup's anxiety could only rise at this notion, but before it could reach maximum level and nothing short of panic, he stopped short and grinned widely in realization. "Dragon calls!" he said aloud, slapping his forehead in amusement. How could he have forgotten?

From afar, the alpha's pale blue eyes widened in interest as the tiny human imitated the calls of the Deadly Fury. He wasn't aware that any creature beside Disowner was talented enough to imitate such a rough tongue. With that dialect, it'd be crazy if the small dragon in question did not respond. Sure enough... The alpha snorted when said dragon bounded out of a nearby cave and happily pounced on his rider, knocking him to the ground in a fit of shrieks and giggles or relief.

"There you are, Boy!" The young Viking giggled as the reptile lapped at his face. He teased, "Bet you were scared, huh-?-WHOA!" Trailing behind the Deadly Fury, which surprised the boy into a bout of shrieking, was a large hoard of other young hatchlings, nipping and rolling and scuttling about, and they all copied the Fury accordingly. Soon, baby dragons were everywhere, rolling, toppling, and hissing at the lone human and at each other.

"What?! You made friends without me? That's no fair!" Hiccup guffawed, shoving a random dragon's leg off of his chest. "You guys are huge! You're bigger than Toothless!"

It was an honest observation of his, and a fascinating one at that. The level of diversity amongst this place, amongst the dragons, was astounding and would put any Berkian scholar, namely Fishlegs or Hiccup, into a tizzy of excitement. These hatchlings were huge compared to the ones at home-triple, no, quadruple the size of a half-grown dragon. Amazing! If Hiccup didn't know any better about their species, he'd think that they were full-grown adults, but their immaturity betrayed their size, and because of their innocence, he felt no fear.

"My dad would kill to be here!" Hiccup exclaimed, yelping as another dragon lapped at his face. "He'd love it!" But there was the matter of safety that Hiccup refused to let go of, no matter how adorable the residents were. That skeleton was going to plague his mind 'till the end of his days, sadly enough.

Suddenly, a cry of alarm rose above the reptilian crowd and the babies scattered almost instantly, leaving a confused Hiccup and a cautious Chaos in its wake. "Whoa, wait!" The young boy watched them disperse with a disappointed frown and rubbed the back of his neck in confusion. "Wha-MPH!" His observation was muffled and cut short by a gargantuan hand that had clasped over his mouth, along with his air supply. Chaos leapt backward and screeched at the offending perpetrator, raising his wings in an attempt to look bigger.

Driven by instinct and terrified beyond belief, Hiccup sunk his sharp little teeth into the skin of the offending appendage, (another human?!) but the owner did nothing but utter an expletive.

"MPH! MMMMPH!"

"Shhhh, easy dragon," came the soothing tone of a familiar voice, and the boy let out a muffled sigh of relief and released the hand from his teeth. He knew that gruff voice and the person exerting it, and he was pretty embarrassed to know that he'd bitten, albeit involuntarily, the owner's hand.

"G-Grandpa!" He happily greeted once the hand was removed from his mouth. He whirled around with a big smile to wrap his little arms around the man's waist as far as he could in a strong embrace. "You _scared_ me!"

Stoick smiled good-naturedly and inspected the slight puncture wound on the top of his hand. Luckily, it was small. "Believe me, I figured that out for myself," he jested, patting the small boy on the back, and when his grandson visibly sagged, he complimented, "You've got some deadly reflexes there, lad. Use 'em."

Hiccup perked despite the circumstantial matter, but one question remained, one that caused his heart to plummet quite quickly. If his grandfather was here, did that mean that the others weren't far behind? Did that mean his mother wasn't far behind? His- *gulp* -father?

Quickly wiping at his bloodshot eyes, Hiccup asked, "H-How did you find me?" He had to know.

Stoick opened his mouth to answer but a nasally voice interrupted him from afar, which caused the man to sigh irritably and the boy to swallow hard. "Dad," came the call, "I told you a thousand times that I don't need you and Gobber to follow me wherever I go! I'm nearly twenty-three years old for the love of Gods…—Hiccup?"

The youngster squeaked, finally catching sight of his perplexed father slowly emerging from the cave (where he assumed his grandfather had appeared from too). Instantly, his heart fell and his stomach melted into white-hot slurry of slush.

"O-Oh no," he mumbled, taking hold of the older Viking's arm and inching his way behind his large form to hide.

The young man detected this but thrust any grudges aside and leapt forward to gather in his arms, his lithe son, who resisted tautly. "Oh, thank Thor you're okay," Hiccup the Third whispered with respite. "Thank Thor. Thank Gods." It didn't take long for his relived heart to sink when the boy gave no response, so he held him at arm's length to see eye-to-eye. …If only his son could look at him.

Stoick watched the rancor-washed twosome, concern penned all over his face. Oh boy. Good thing they'd left the dragons outside.

To break some of the tension, the Chief-to-be asked, "H-Hey, what happened to your helmet?"

The boy barely shrugged and kept his gaze averted. It was clear that he wasn't going to uphold a pure conversation anytime soon. "Mph... 'T's over there..." He gestured vaguely.

"...Oh. C-Could you go get it?" Hiccup asked gently.

"…Yeah. It's not far," the child mumbled, and lightly shook the man's grip off before lumbering away with his head down, Chaos timidly following suit.

The heir rose to his feet. "Wait-" he began, but the much older man laid a hand on his shoulder, halting him.

"Let him go," Stoick quietly advised. "It's a lot to take in."

The alpha watched the scene from afar; it's multifarious ears eavesdropping on everything that was proceeding. He had been watching when the larger of the two intruders had pounced on his young guest, and was tempted to call in reinforcements. The only thing that stopped him was the knowledge that these three were related. By scent, he knew that three generations were present. How interesting.

Amazingly enough, (and much to his amusement) his gigantic white form didn't catch the eyes of the adults. They must have caught a prevue out of the corners of their eyes but dismissed the gargantuan creature as an addition to the icy cliffs.

Once the child was out of earshot, the Berkian Chief zeroed in on his own son. "Alright. Tell me," he ordered, catching the other Viking off-guard. "No point in beating around the bush. What's goin' on between th' two of you?"

Hiccup stood stock-still for a moment as the tips of his ears went red. Was the feud between he and his child that pathetically obvious? If so, that was simply humiliating. Even so, he tried to play it off, albeit unsuccessfully. "Going on? Between us?" Hiccup snorted nervously and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "What-What makes you think anything's going on?"

Stoick crossed his arms and rose an eyebrow, a famous look of his that said, _"Cut the yak-dung."_ "Nothing happens in my bloodline without me knowing about it," he declared as a matter-of-fact, and then emphasized, "So, let's _talk_ about that boy."

Stumped and without his usually sharp tongue to rescue him, Hiccup gargled incoherently for a moment before sighing irritably. "Gods," he groaned. "It's just—i-it's just so hard, sometimes, to get him to understand th-that he's not in charge. To get him to listen, t' g-give _any_ indication of courtesy, any regard toward authority." He sighed, kicking at the ground. "Not to mention that he's as stubborn as a-as-"

"As you?" Stoick implied, his face as impassive as stone, yet there was a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.

Hiccup lips stretched into a thin line and narrowed his eyes as he exhaled heavily in irritation. "Oh _please_," he griped, stomping off. "Don't even start with that."

"Start with what? The truth?" Stoick asked, jogging to catch up. "Don't act as if Ah don't know what I'm talking about," he lightly admonished as they walked along the general path in which the boy had gone. "Facts are facts and I'm a father too ye know. You were—ARE, rather, a tough one to handle."

"Thank you for summing that up," Hiccup replied with false sweetness, battering his eyelashes.

"The pleasure was mine," Stoick casually smiled.

Hiccup sighed but trekked on. "…And now," he grunted, forcefully moving brush aside while trying avoid stepping on the tails of random hatchlings, "I understand how obnoxious it is and I'm probably gonna die from the stress of keeping that kid under control!" He burst out angrily.

Stoick grabbed his shoulders and spun him around. "Listen to me," he said coldly. "I know it's hard to control him!"

"Exactly!" Hiccup exclaimed in exasperation. "At last, you under—"

"Quiet!" Stoick barked, his intensity surprising the younger man into silence. "Listen to me," he repeated. "You can't honestly expect to keep the lad under control at _all times_. Thor knows I couldn't do it with you, and at least _you've_ got a wife t' help you in times of need!"

Hiccup bit his lip sullenly and Stoick softened his tone. "Just think of him as a dragon," he offered. "You're flying with 'im, and he wants to veer off course. You want to discipline him, right? But it you tighten the reigns too much, that dragon will buck, and fight, and bite, and kick. But if you loosen the reigns just a little-"

"Wha-?! He-He'll speed out of control and crash-land into the ocean!" Hiccup exclaimed, waving his arms erratically.

Stoick grabbed one of the flailing arms and smirked. "I know you want to protect him. Believe me, I understand, but sometimes children will exercise responsibility if you show them a little trust."

"Oh yeah! Like when you dumped the majority of Berk's problems on me, right? That was great fun!" Hiccup recalled, quite agitated by the prospect of that foolish, fourteen-year-old him handling everything on his own and the current circumstances. "What were_ you_ doing most of the time, besides eh, yelling at me?"

Stoick gave him a tired look and opened his mouth to retort, "That's irrelevant—!" but a large reverberation sporadically cut him off. It was a deep, guttural din not discharged by a beast but by an aberrant element, and whatever it was, it certainly spooked the residents of the sanctuary. "GAH!" A cry of alarm rang out amongst the dragons and they began to rise from the ground, from their nests, and flew into columns that dove into the caves until only the alpha and a few sparse hatchlings remained.

The two adults quickly gathered their resolve, both poised and listening, and then stared at each other incredulously.

"W…What in Odin's name was that?" Hiccup hissed, gripping his father's arm for balance when a louder rumble emitted, this time the vibrations caused loose chunks of ice to fall from the ceiling. "Oh jeez—! WATCH OUT!" Hiccup cried, shoving his father out of the way of an oncoming chunk. They landed heavily and ducked beneath a jutted stack of rock of the nearest cliff, huddling together.

"W-What the-?"

"Quiet," Stoick hissed, flapping his hand, and they both listened, ears straining for any sign of danger, any sign of discomfort, but after the last of the tremors had faded out and the chirps of crickets amplified again, there was none to speak of.

"...Okay," Hiccup said uncertainly, releasing his father's arms and peaking out from under the rock. "That was weird," he concluded as the dragons poked their heads out of their hiding spaces. "Definitely weird."

"It might've been a quake," the chief mused, scratching his hairy chin.

Hiccup shook his head with indifference, scanning the landscape for clues. "But quakes don't happen this time of year! I'll bet it was an outside source!"

"Perhaps not, but it's likely," Stoick debated with uncertainty. "We were alone coming in and the storm wouldn't be strong enough to cause that. And it wouldn't explain why the dragons left in a hurry, right?" No answer, and the chief glanced over his shoulder to find his boy. "Son?" He asked again.

No answer.

Hiccup was frozen at the edge of the cliff, looking down, an expression of awe plastered over his paled complexion, a dark silhouette against a cyan blue milieu of ice. Stoick frowned and hurried over to ask what he had found and if everything was alright. But before he could, Hiccup lifted a trembling, half-sleeved hand to point.

"M-Maybe it was _that_!" He whispered.

The alpha was _right below them_, looking up with those pale blue eyes of his, only a few feet away from where they were. Both men stilled and gaped at the sight of the magnificent creature, Hiccup in amazement, Stoick more in concern. "Th-Thundering Thor," he gasped, his trusty axe slipping through his thick fingers. "W-What is THAT?"

Hiccup's open mouth quickly turned into a huge grin. Contrary to his flabbergasted father, he was astonished. "Would—Would you just look at that?!" He cried, running an excited hand through his auburn locks. "Th-That's incredible! Look at the size of those tusks!" He leaned over for a closer look. Stoick gasped.

"Hiccup, get away from that thing!" He half-whispered-half-yelled, leaping forward to yank his son to safety.

"Wha-? Dad?" Hiccup snapped, startled. "For the last time: I can take care of myself!"

"That creature could swallow you whole and not even realize-"

"—Wait, where's it going?" Stoick paused mid-ministration and saw that it was indeed true: the gigantic beast was padding away, slowly but mightily. Mystified, they followed it along the side of the cliff until they reach the campsite that the missing child was at earlier. Pots and pans littering the area, flint scattered around a disheveled makeshift fireplace, and a torrent of furs in the middle of a hollowed out ice ledge.

Stoick said nothing.

"Huh. It looks like someone was here before us," Hiccup sighed, almost in disappointment, that someone had discovered this place before he had. It was a selfish thought, but he couldn't help but feel like he had been robbed.

Just by inspecting a cluster of pots and pans, he couldn't tell if the owner was temporarily or permanently residing here. Either way, Hiccup noted, he would have to have a chat with whatever lucky fellow had the privilege of living so close to these beasts. Shifting his gaze from the pots, he caught sight of a staff lying against the wall of ice. Curious, he took it in his hands, running his fingers over the smooth wood. "Wow..." He waved it in the air and listened curiously to the tiny jangling sounds it made.

Stoick lumbered past and looked over everything with an unreadable expression and began to tread through the scarce brush.

Hiccup was very interested in the staff, pretending to use as a weapon out of playful childishness. Swinging it like a baton, he charged forward and pretended to strike down an invisible enemy. "Heheh," he chuckled when the air resistance caused the tiny instruments on the staff to emit tiny jingles and jangles. "This's exquisite."

Exiting the small camp, Hiccup wasn't surprised to find the alpha outside. Inexplicably deciding that he wasn't in any real danger, he approached. The dragon tilted its massive head and stared with wondrous, intelligent eyes at the tiny mammal. "I don't suppose you know who lived here," Hiccup casually remarked as he lazily swung the staff around, causing the tiny metals parts to jingle. He didn't expect any sort of answer, whether verbally or bodily, but to his surprise, the alpha seemed to come to attention when the din reached its ears.

It straightened itself out to his attention.

It copied his movement.

No way.

Hiccup stared incredulously at the beast and back at the staff before giving it a test swing. The alpha moved again, and Hiccup grinned. "Wow," he whispered. "This is beyond anything I could—could EVER imagine." Not only did this mean that there were thousands of new species to be discovered, but that the person who was living in this place obviously knew more about them than he did. He needed to meet this person. Friendly or not, he needed the info.

Hiccup was glowing; he couldn't wait to tell his father. "I'll be right back," he promised the beast, and then scurried back into the foliage.

"Dad, you HAVE to see this," he cried, happily bounding over to his father, who was kneeling beside a large patch of frosted brush. "I know you're not gonna believe me but this-this instrument right here-this staff influences that tusked dragon!" He ran a hand through his hair. "It's so weird," he went on, "it's like, the sound it makes somehow-... Dad? Dad?" He tilted his head. "You okay?"

The man was unresponsive, so Hiccup kneeled down next to him. "What's wro—?" He caught sight of the skeleton and gasped. "Oh no," he whispered, and clutched the staff even tighter. There was a short silence as Hiccup silently crouched. Of all the things he was dreading coming into this place, he certainly hadn't expected…this. It was hard to speak after that, for his throat had inconveniently gone dry, but after a few tries, he managed to force out, "Y-You think—" He cleared his throat. "You think this was the happy camper?"

No answer, and Hiccup swiveled his head around to stare at the older man.

He drew back with a start. "Dad? Dad, are you _crying_?"

No response, although the runny redness in his father's eyes spoke anything but impassiveness. Hiccup was stunned. He'd only seen his father cry on his anniversary when there was no spouse to spend it with, and even then, he'd cry in solitary—in a separate room where nobody could see him or hear him but his confused and worried son.

Hiccup reached out to softly lay a hand on his father's shoulder. "What's wrong?" He followed the man's gaze and instantly recoiled when he saw that his predecessor had taken ahold of the skeleton's hand. "O-OH! Egad—! Y—You probably shouldn't touch that!" He warned, embarrassingly shrill. "The thing's probably loaded with diseases and Gods know what else."

"This _thing_," Stoick spoke suddenly, his voice heavy and weathered, which caused his son to blink with concern, "is my wife, your mother."

...

"I don't know what to do, Chaos," Hiccup mumbled, kicking a small stone. "He doesn't seem to be very angry at me anymore. Should I still be?" The dragon offered a small warble but became easily distracted by a small mouse that skittered into some brush.

"Yeah, you're probably right," the boy muttered. "Even though he kept yelling at m-GAH!" He fell face-first. Upon a quick and fearful inspection, he was annoyed to find that he had tripped over his helmet.

"Eesh…Good thing nobody was around to see that," he grumbled, bitterly snatching the headpiece and placing it back where it belonged. "Better," he commented. "Now I just need to figure out what to do next."

...

In the split second it took for Stoick's words to sink in, Hiccup had already reared back to his feet, completely in shock and disbelief. "Whoa! W-Wait a second," he stammered, clenching and unclenching his fists—a nervous habit of his. "You're telling me that-_th-that_," he pointed to the skeleton with a trembling finger, "is my _mother_?!"

Stoick nodded solemnly and Hiccup ran his frozen, trembling fingers through his hair. He couldn't believe this, and he was inclined to show it. "W-But-but that's impossible!" He spluttered, almost in an accusatory tone. "She _died_ remember? All these years— She, she g-got carried off and eaten by...by..." He trailed off, the gravity of the situation sucking his breath away. Light-headed, he carefully rubbed at his emerald eyes and got to his knees again. "How do you know it's her?" He tried again, calmer.

Stoick held the decaying wrist up in answer, causing Hiccup to involuntarily gag with disgust. "Oh, gross," he mumbled, but what captivated his attention a moment later was not the festering flesh but what was on one of the fingers: a solitary ring, a marriage band, with intricate carving indented onto the golden surface.

"I gave this to her," the despairing chief faintly elucidated. "On our wedding day-I gave this to my beloved-she promised to never take it off." He was teary eyed as he smiled wearily, but Hiccup was too shocked to do anything but gape. "Oh look," he whispered. "The inscriptions are as plain as day."

"Dad-"

"I'll swim the savage seas..." The man mumbled, "with ne'er a fear of drowning..." Tears were swimming.

Hiccup shook his head. "Dad... I don't think..." He trailed off and stared at his lap, quietly finishing his thought in a whisper. "...I don't think this is her." At least, he hoped this wasn't her, and that she hadn't died this painful death—whatever had caused it. He shuddered. But then again, he didn't remember a thing about his mother, while his father probably knew her like the back of his hand.

"This can't be her," he declared more firmly this time, his throat constricting as his father caressed the hand. "Please, Dad," he choked out. "Dad, think about it! She's been gone for over 20 years and the chances of survival here are almost nonexistent! Humans don't just live on crawfish ya know! And if this really is her," he added when his father remained silent, "and if she was the kind, caring woman that you said she was, then…then why didn't she come back if she was _this close to Berk_?"

_Now_ he had Stoick's attention, albeit distantly. He was quiet for a few moments more, not off in a daze but in a complicated struggle as he wondered what to say. "She…thought differently than I," he finally mumbled, caressing the ring. "About the lives we lived. The dragon raids. Mostly the dragons themselves and the way we handed those affairs." He trailed off and closed his eyes. "She, eh," he cracked, "h-had very unpopular opinions, and we didn't exactly see eye-to-eye, _most_ of the time, anyway. But I loved her so."

Hiccup was taken aback. He stared at the skeleton. The marriage band wasn't solid proof that this was his mother, but his father had never acted this way before about any stranger and certainly not about any corpse. If he was right… Something new ignited in Hiccup's soul as he stared at the skeleton, and it wasn't awe, or shock, or amazement.

It was elusive disgust.

He could confide in his mother if she were still alive about having a different point of view or a difference in morale, but…if his father was correct as he was fervent, and this being really WAS his mother…then…His throat constricted and the ignited flicker of subtle disgust flourished in an uncharacteristic flurry. What on Berk-? What excuse what _that_ to abandon your people? Your family? Your flesh and blood? He pursed his lips and his fists tightened.

He certainly hoped that this was not his mother.

He hoped that the stories he had heard his whole life were true—and that a four-winged dragon HAD carried her off.

He hoped that his mother had NOT abandoned him and his father over the simple excuse of having a difference in opinion—

WAIT.

"Oh-OH my _GODS_!" Hiccup gasped, stumbling backward over his own prosthetic foot. "Th-This is the Vigilante!"

Stoick frowned, pausing his ministration of caressing the hand to look at his son. "The _what_?"

Hiccup explained hurriedly. "Remember when I was talking to those dragon trappers on their ship?" Stoick nodded, his soul flaring to life at the recollection. "Well, the leader's hangout-where I…er, explicably went to as well-had been attacked by a large dragon and what he called the Vigilante. Now I know," he said, "that THAT," he pointed in the direction of where the alpha probably was, "is the dragon he was speaking of, and **THAT**," he pointed to the skeleton in distaste, "is the person who has been attacking those enslaved men."

Stoick was beside himself, and stared doubtfully at the corpse. "Hiccup-"

"It all makes sense!" The young adult went on, pacing awkwardly. "The ice, the traps—" His stomach dropped then.

He hoped with all his being that his mother had been dead all these years and not involved with these cruel affairs.

"T-They had been specifically destroyed, "He finished with flourish. "I'll wager that this person right here; I'll bet that his or her goal was to free the dragons from the trappers." He glared at the icy ceiling. "Why don't people negotiate?" He griped to himself.

"You may be right son," Stoick admitted. "Val was always passionate about finding a way to end the fighting between us and the dragons. She always claimed that peace was possible, but-" he shook his head. "She always made it so difficult for us." He almost laughed. "You should've seen her: unsettling traps, hiding weapons—"

Hiccup almost threw up, but held in the bile and paled instead.

_Unsetting traps? Hiding weapons? Passionate? Finding a way to-?_

No. No.

Hiccup shook his head.

No, please.

"—She wanted to save lives but she was endangering her own and her people in the process."

Hiccup's mind flashed back to the weathered crew on Eret's ship, including Eret himself. He hadn't really taken their bodily states into account, but now that he thought about it…yes. They did far too undernourished, with their hunched backs, spindly bodies disguised beneath thick furs and mittens. Left to be revealed—their faces—were littered with scars, burns, and other lacerations.

Eret's scar—a mark of punishment.

…

_"This is what he gave me when I didn't live up to his quota," he explained. "Believe me, he's given me far worse but I don't want to scar the child's fragile little mind. The point is that the man is ruthless, and he promised to be far less understanding the next time I arrived without dragons."_

_Shaken by the image, Hiccup closed his eyes and tried not to imagine the very pain the man had obviously gone through, physically and emotionally. Imagine, the person you work and put your own life on the line for, would inflict pain upon you... What if Gobber had done such a thing to Hiccup if he hadn't met his quota on sharpening battle-axes?_

_"Look, I-...I'm sorry that you have an insane boss and that he's done that to you, but..." Hiccup almost through his arms up in disbelief. "What does it have to do with us? We've caused you no harm, so the fact of the matter is-"_

_"The fact of the matter," Eret interrupted in his weathered voice, "is that we as trappers are up to our wrists in quotas that need to be fulfilled with-without you bloody dragon-lovers getting in our way. We have families that need to be fed, children that need to be taken care of-" Hiccup's face softened, "-and yet another obstacle is not what we need in our lives right now."_

_…_

Imagine that… By obstructing their work in favor the dragons, she—or he, had been setting them up for failure. And punishemnt came after failure. What the vigilante should have been doing was save these men that were the source of the dragon trapping. The vigilante could have shown them a better way of living close to the beats—to save them from a world of hurt brought on by one common enemy: Drago Bludfist.

"But then...what happened?" Hiccup asked desperately, shaking his head free of the trappers.

"One night," Stoick recalled, swallowing hard but forcing himself to go on, "there was a raid-a terribly violent one, mind you. I told Val that the best thing for her to do was to stay at home and protect you. You were in your cradle."

Hiccup nodded. "Yes…?"

"But during the middle of the chaos, she must've left you unprotected, because the next thing I see is her running through the village shouting that the warriors were only making it worse." He sighed gruffly, shaking his head. "Such a foolish, irresponsible person she became in the midst of chaos... Anyway, a dragon broke into our house. I don't know much what happened after that, but I went in, saw the dragon leaning over YOU; I didn't think. I couldn't. I threw an axe, but Valka-sh-she defended it. Next thing I know, the house is aflame, I rush to protect you, and she's being carried off by that monster."

There was a moment of silence, and Hiccup stared at the skeleton with distaste corrupting his heart. "You think this is her?" He asked flatly.

Stoick nodded sullenly. "I believe so. It must have spared her life and brought her here. I can't imagine why."

"So that's it then? She's dead for REAL this time?" Hiccup growled in exasperation, surprising his father. "How could-? I-If that IS her, how could she just abandon us like this?"

"She opposed our ways-" Stoick reasoned, but the younger Viking had heard enough of the excuses.

"So?" He angrily cried, the ignited disgust in his core reaching its peak. "You had a difference of opinion-what difference does that make over the importance of _family_?"

Stoick was going to retort, but what he could say in his wife's defense? Technically, if she had a way back, if she had the dragons under control and by her side, and if she had truly tried her hardest to return by boat, by raft, by dragon back; _it didn't matter how she did it or how long it took for her to do it; _there was no excuse. "It doesn't make a difference," he admitted. "I know, son. I know."

Hiccup was inconsolable. "How could she?" He seethed, pacing back and forth. "I don't understand—I don't think I-! I'll _never_ understand!"

"Nor will I," Stoick agreed sorrowfully.

Another silence and the younger of the two kicked at the dirt bitterly.

"What're we gonna do with it?" Hiccup muttered, his back turned. His ignited disgust had burned to embers. "Stinking up the place like that—We might as well bury the thing-"

Stoick reared back in shock. "Hiccup! This is your mother we're talking about! Show some respect, for Thor's sake."

The young man barked out a laugh. "She, is not, my mother," he slowly declared. "She wasn't there for me. She took care of the dragons over you and me. She-She-"

"She loved you," Stoick insisted.

Hiccup's nostrils flared. Now that he had children of his own, he would fall off the edge of the world for them. He loved them with all his heart. Maybe he wasn't perfect with a selective few, but he always tried to be there to support them. What role did his so-called "mother" take? To pay her respect when she had given him nothing was ridiculous.

"And what do I owe a deadbeat?" he snapped. "I'm not going to help pass her on to Valhalla. If you think I will, then forget it."

Stoick was shocked. Hiccup had never spoken to him with such disrespect before. Normally he would slap the soul out of that sassing face, but the circumstances prevented him from doing it. Nevertheless, he was outraged. "Bit your tongue—" He warned with a low snarl.

Hiccup held up his hands. "If you want to do it, be my guest," he offered. "But if I had left my children with Astrid to raise them alone s-so **_I_** could live with dragons I wouldn't expect much respect either," he spat. "I'm not gonna pay my respects to a person that chose a couple of reptiles over her family-all because her husband had a difference of opinion to protect his people."

**Rumble**

Hiccup paused his rant to glance skyward, as did Stoick, who was about ready to send his fist into the side of his son's face.

**Crumble. Crash.**

"Oh for the love of-!" Hiccup groaned. "What's going on now?!"

"It's coming from the outside!" Stoick realized breathlessly. He stared at the caves and back to his supposed dead wife. "Ill be with you soon, mah darling'," he promised quietly, drawing his axe after getting to his feet. He was always quick to draw his composure like the real warrior he was. "We'll discuss this later," he barked. "Come on!"

Hiccup felt sick. He wanted to follow his father but another part of his wanted to discuss it further. Apparently though, he did not have a choice, for the shouts of men coming from outside the borders of the sanctuary prevented that. He got one last look at the skeleton before sprinting for the caves that lead to the exit as chunks of ice begin to rain down on them. He grabbed the staff on the way out. Who knew? It could come in handy.

"Wait," he realized with abject horror, and cursed himself for being so forgetful. "Hiccup! We can't leave him!" He raced back to the entrance and his father shouted after him.

…

**Author' Note: Alright men! There's a very intense battle scene coming up. Grab your shields and wield your swords! Man the hoses! Do something quick! And if you have the time, write the most inspiring battle song ever!**

**Here's mine: **

_"Into battle, we will cry! _

_And now that we're here,_

_We're all going to die!"_

**It's supposed to be inspirational, but I feel trodden to dread. Write me a battle song, Fanrats! Write me a battle song and we shall sing it together as one as we march into oblivion!**


	19. The--

**Author's Note: I'm back and I'm ready to march into battle. Everyone with me? Fanrats? Let's go! Let us sing our battle songs together!**

**This is it...the second-to-last chapter. Wow. I never thought that this would mark the near-end to my fabulous adventure. Thank you all, always.**

**And now, it is time to commence the responses. Here we go.**

**Jorge: Don't worry, man. I owe it to you and the rest of my fans to finish this story. And finish it I will. I won't leave a single subplot unturned!**

**CassandraDayTree: Hey girl! I'll admit it was very fun to write the conversation between Hiccup and Stoick with Valka as the subject. I always thought that the reunion in the movie was always unrealistic, and it caused me to eventually dislike the movie altogether.**

**A Person Who Like Comedy: Thank you kindly! I'm glad that someone else agrees with me on the subject matter of Hiccup's mother. I honestly didn't want her to take part in the story because of my personal hate for her, and I agree. If my mother had ditched me for a bunch of reptiles, I would have been mega-pissed.**

**Lumie: Excellent battle song! Not exactly the most inspiring but nonetheless funny and creative:**

**Dun-dun-dun, we're dead**

**There goes our heads**

**We woke up in beds-wait, those are coffins.**

**Haha! That's pretty funny!**

**Noname: Thank you for sticking with me thick and thin, bro. Enjoy this chapter, because it's the second-to-last one that you're gonna get. Isn't that just the craziest thing? I think it is. I'm making history here!**

**Here's One: Uber cute, not How to Train Your Dragon related, but nonetheless historic:**

**Yankee doodle keep it up,**

**Yankee doodle dandy,**

**Mind the music and the step**

**And with the girls be handy**

**You stealer! XD**

**Hiccstrid4EVER: Thank you so much for your kind words! I hope I don't disappoint you with this chapter I've written, since it took me a very long time to perfect and revise. And I'm very glad that you liked the alternate death of Valka instead of Stoick. And as for Stoick's fate? ...You'll see.**

**Guardian of Azarath: Buddy, buddy, buddy, you have no idea how awesome it is to see that you take the time to review my story. Nothing brightens up my day like witnessing your kind words and detailed responses. And don't worry, because all your questions will be answered in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the How To Train Your Dragon series.**

…

**Chapter Nineteen~ The-!**

...

Always the pessimist, Snotlout was worried sick inside while he searched for his cousin and nephew with the other original riders. And despite that he had told himself over and over not to worry, because his cousin has always made it out alive with everyone he cared about, his gut clenched and churned with trepidation, a sentiment he could not abate. Though the chances of survival were high, his external nonchalance and focus could not veil the anguish within; and it was becoming difficult because of the twins.

"Huh," Tuffnut pondered to his sister as the group glided through the heavy clouds. "What are the chances our young Hiccups were eaten by a Scauldron?"

"I'd give it a fifty-fifty...nah...sixty-forty chance," replied Ruffnut solemnly, removing her hands from her dragon's head to clasp them behind her back. "They may come to a scalding end, if I may be so blatant."

"Amen, sister," Tuffnut praised without an ounce of humor, "I'm afraid the boys' ends are nearing fast. Pray tell, what is the chance-"

"Will you guys _shut_ it?" Snotlout interrupted with a hiss through his gritted teeth, startling the twins enough to unseat their unruliness. The Viking bit his lip as his glanced uneasily at Astrid, but fortuitously, she was much more engrossed in scanning the horizon than in the twins' banter. Thank Gods.

"..."

Thirty seconds of quiet. Bronze standard.

"..."

Forty seconds. A record! And then-

"Say a Thunderdrum leapt from the depth and snatched poor young Hiccup out of the air?" Tuffnut briskly piped up.

Astrid flinched and sent a death glare to the guilty party so powerful that Loki himself would've cowered. Snotlout groaned and would have hit his helmet-adorned head against a wall if there were one handy. He didn't want to be anyone's punching bag today if it was under the wrath of Astrid, so he wanted to keep her in a good mood. And that included refraining from making not-so-ethical comments about her son and husband. Was that too much to ask?

"Keep your eyes on the sea with me, Fishlegs," Astrid ordered to regain control. "Be on the lookout for movement. Twins, look for the sea stacks. Snotlout-" the man flinched at his name, "-you keep an eye on the horizon. If you see anything, just shout." A subtle groan erupted from the twins. They had been flying for hours, the ground they had covered was vast and off the charts, but they still hadn't found an inkling of life for miles out above this sea of icebergs-

"Guys! Look there!" Astrid shouted, abruptly leaning forward on Stormfly and pointing at the water in the nearby distance.

Oh! Snotlout blinked and shrugged to himself. Never mind, then.

It took the others a moment for their eyes to adjust, but they too eventually caught sight of a familiar man struggling for his life in the Arctic-cold water, weakly shouting for help. Was it Hiccup?!

Never the type to leave a person stranded, Fishlegs was the one to steer Meatlug over to the figure to scoop him up.

"_Eret_?" The large Viking gasped upon recognizing the shivering Inuit. There was a collected edginess that invaded the atmosphere upon this discovery, and Astrid, along with the rest of the group, let out a very shocked gasp, foil to a rather pleased Ruffnut, who saucily cackled.

"Hey there, crab-cake," she cooed. Welcome aboard _our_ navy."

Eret shot her a look of aversion and clapped a hand over his mouth to withstand the bile before he could explain his recent quandary, and Astrid flew close by to poke some fun. It had been a dampen mood and she wanted to allow _some_ light to shed onto the situation. "Nice to see you up and about after we last met," she smirked. "What happened?"

The mood dropped several shades of bleak as the shuddering man closed his eyes. All went quiet. "I didn't meet Drago's quota," he slowly proclaimed, causing Astrid to fumble awkwardly with the reigns of her dragon. She hadn't meant to cause trouble for this apparently former slave; she just wanted to keep her family safe. "He had me thrown overboard," he vaguely concluded, wrapping his frosty muscular arms around his shivering form. "It's clear that he had no intention to rescue me or to have me rejoin his crew. Therefore, I have no obligation to help him anymore."

A small stressed silence shrouded the area until Astrid tried to lift the mood again.

"Glad to see you had a change of heart," She pondered. "If I'd known that all it would take was an icy plunge, I would've dunked you a lot earlier. Did Drago throw anyone else overboard that we need to pick up?"

"Never mind that," Eret dismissed coolly, pun very much intended, as he shifted uncomfortably on Meatlug. It was clear that he was definitely not used to being so close to his apparent mortal enemy. "The Vigilante is in trouble," he informed her," and if your family is anywhere near him, they're in huge trouble too."

Astrid's eyes widened. "You saw them?!"

"Wait! Whaddaya mean 'in huge trouble'?" Snotlout inquired with a snap, flying close enough to grip Eret's laced collar. "Spill it, _Eskimo_," he seethed menacingly, bringing their faces close so that they were nose-to-nose. Tuffnut barked his approval while Ruffnut reprimanded the Jorgenson for being too harsh.

Eret furrowed his brows and smacked Snotlout's hand away with resounding force while snapping, "I never said I wouldn't!" Surprising everyone, Eret replied without any sign of hesitation or resistance. "Drago's headed for a sanctuary of dragons," he unveiled. "A huge block of ice. Ye can't miss it but neither can he. My men and I never have approached because weren't prepared to take on the beast inside." Everyone exchanged glances of awe mixed with concern and suspicion. "It would have been a suicide mission," Eret concluded. "The dragons within just weren't worth the risk."

Fishlegs held his breath until the other man finished and then asked rather skeptically, "What "beast" are you speaking of?" He pulled out his flashcards for reference.

A dark tension seemed to pass over the Inuit. He trembled some, but after a moment's pass, he regained his sturdy composure. "It's a beast," he reminisced, "a beast of pompous terror. One by which no one in the world has ever seen before." He paused and then amended, "Exempting the Vigilante of course. He is the one who controls it. And when Drago dumped me into the sea, I happened to see yer young lad speeding towards that place. I called out to him, but he mustn't have heard me." Fishlegs nodded and muttered to himself while flipping through the cards.

"I'd guess a class nine…maybe a class ten…"

Astrid considered this. "Would you say that this beast is worth the risk for us?" She slowly investigated.

Eret shook his head so quick he felt it would spin. "Heavens, no!" He exclaimed and held out his blunt arms for emphasis. "It's colossal! Much larger than an average island anyway, and if ye think ye can confront it without losing yer life, ye've got another thing coming."

Astrid chewed her bottom lip. "Well if Hiccup's well-being is in danger, then we have to intervene.

"Are you mad, woman?" Eret spluttered, completely dumbfounded. "For-Forget the dragons," he choked, "Drago is _ruthless_. He'll stop at nothing to claim his prize, and no man, nor woman, nor child could sway his mind."

"Hiccup could!" Tuffnut called out with the upmost sincerity. "He's a pretty persuasive fellow."

"Hold on." Astrid interrupted, holding out a hand to silence the male twin. "Drago's _prize_?" She repeated carefully. "What's this _prize_?"

Eret's face grew solemn and he sighed. "The beast," he explained gravely, "the Alpha. The King of all dragons. With it by his side, consider him the true conqueror of all dragons and Viking-kind. Your king. Though, with a Chief, I don't know if you would understand the concept of a king—"

"We have a monarchy, idiot," Snotlout snorted, earning a smack in the back of the head from Ruffnut.

"Don't be rude to my crab-cake!" She warned with a hiss.

Eret blinked. "R-Right," he mumbled. "So, he's a conqueror, like I said. He doesn't just overtake one place and settle. He branches out. He likes to expand. That's how he found my tribe far up north. Once he's gotten rid of your people and their dragons, he'll move onto mine, then the English, then the Germanus, then the Sassanid Persians, and then the Romans." The young adults all hushed and stared at each other with incredulous worry. Rome and Sassanid were two very powerful empires. Could this Drago seriously conquer them all?

"Now wait a minute," Snotlout protested, holding up a callused hand. "This guy's got that much power-enough to conquer the _entire_ _world_-and we haven't heard of him up until _now_?"

Eret smirked grimly. "It's hard to spread the word if one threatens to end your life. To keep me quiet, he promised to spare my people, but I wouldn't put it past him to go back on his word now that I am no longer loyal to him." The Vikings glanced at each other quietly, debating whether or not they could trust him. "If I'm lucky," Eret chuckled, "he'll think I'm dead by now and leave my people alone. We're too small of a community for him to worry about anyway."

Astrid went sullen. "And if he does conquer all those places," she mused, "what then?

Eret gazed off into the horizon and let out a small, sad laugh. "Consider him a victor," he murmured, "because by that point, no one could stop him."

Another hushed silence until Tuffnut broke the spell, but he had a very good question in mind. "How do we know that we can trust you, Mr. Eret?" He asked, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow with suspicion. Snotlout did the same.

Eret gazed at them tiredly, believing that such a thing was a lost cause. "I don't expect you to," he admitted. "If the tables were turned I don't believe that I would trust myself either. But there were so there were so many things that I wanted to do but I couldn't under Drago's command." He patted Meatlug cautiously.

"I will admit that I've never been a enthusiast of dragons, especially after what happened to my mother," he quietly revealed, "but I believe that peace can be achieved if we just try hard enough. After all, they are just animals like any others."

Astrid smiled and hugged Stormfly's neck. "They're more than that," she cooed. "They're our companions, our friends, and our brothers and sisters of war." The other riders chattered in agreement and gave loving scratches to their happy pets. Eret watched stiffly, and although it was clear that he was passionate about his beliefs, Astrid wanted to cut him some slack. After all he had been through, it'd be hard for his to even like dragons. "Well," she said judiciously, giving Stormfly one final pat on the spiky head, "hopefully you can find your own peace with the dragons someday."

Eret nodded tautly. "Perhaps," he remarked quietly, fingering at his brand.

...

"Hiccup!" The poor befuddled father screamed as he raced back out into the open of the sanctuary. "Where are you?! Hiccup!" A slab of ice the size of his house slammed to the ground beside him, missing him by mere inches.

Stoick wouldn't have it. "C'mon!" He ordered, although it broke his heart to do it. "We'll be killed if we stay inside!"

"So will he! I'm not leaving without him!" Hiccup protested, struggling with all his might to escape his father's grasp.

"The caves!" Stoick reminded him with a bark. "He's a smart boy, son; he'll be there."

Hiccup couldn't even answer properly. "Bu-N-No I-"

Before he could prioritize a retort, the wise but missable eyes of an unfamiliar dragon caught his eye. A dragon with the face of an owl and four wings to count. Hiccup guessed that he was a resident of this place and nothing more, but it still broke his heart to see the beast bow his head and shut his eyes before a gigantic stalactite of ice crushed his being.

Hiccup all but screamed. "Come on!" Stoick roared as a crack of ice echoed throughout the area, causing the entire area to shake so hard that the two men were knocked off their feet.

"Th-The alpha!" Hiccup barley managed to gasp out before the great white mountain of a beast burst forth from the sanctuary, bridging the gap between inside and out. Hiccup screamed as ice rained all around them, pelting their bodies like large chunks of hail. Stoick was lucky, he had armor and was used to being hit; Hiccup on the other hand he nothing on but a navy blue tunic and dark vest, so he got the worst brunt of the force before Stoick flung the both of them to the ground to shield his son with his vast form.

As soon as the barrage of ice ceased, Hiccup scrambled from beneath his father and screamed for his son, hustling over to the edge of the cliff.

"SON!" He bellowed, cupping his hands around his mouth like a horn. "HICCUP!" Only his echo returned the call, almost mockingly. "Oh Gods," the young man moaned, collapsing to one knee. "He can't be gone. No. He can't be."

Stoick grabbed his arm and dragged his away from the edge. "Away from there," he scolded. "You have a smart boy. He's probably hidden in the caves that lead to the outside."

"And how can you be so sure?" Hiccup scathed as he resisted being yanked along like a yak.

"Like I said, he's a smart boy. Trust me, son. Trust him-WHAT IN THE NAME OF THOR?!" They had rushed out to find themselves on the edge of a steep cliff of ice, overlooking the beach of the island.

It was swarmed with soldiers and dragons of every kind. Shackled and metallic armor ceiling their colorful scales. Hiccup felt his breath leave him. The army. This was the dragon army of Drago. Stoick, who hadn't even been informed of this, widened his eyes to impossible circumferences and he gaped. "W-What is this lunacy?!" He demanded with a harsh gasp.

Hiccup's heart could only sink further. "Drago Bludfist," he realized with a stammer, stumbling backward several feet until he knocked into Toothless, who nudged him steady. "Bud!" He exclaimed, earning a comforting lap on the cheek. Toothless understood his pain. "Oh, thank Thor you're alright."

Stoick snapped straight, startled. "What did you say?" He barked. "Drago-?"

"Drago Bludfist," Hiccup repeated breathlessly. "Eret, the dragon trapper on the ship, said something about his boss building a dragon army," he paused to let out a slightly irritated huff and gestured to the mass of soldiers, dragons, and transportable weapons, "and using my detective skills, I'm gonna say that this army is in fact the army Eret was referring to. Give or take."

Stoick shook his head in disbelief and narrowed his eyes before grabbing his son by the collar and throwing him onto Toothless a moment later. "Saddle up," he ordered. "If we want to see the light of day again, we need to make haste, find your boy, and escape!"

Hiccup began to internally panic due to the boy still inside the sanctuary. "Wait, hold on a second, Dad!" He protested. "This Bludfist guy; if he's anything like the people on Berk: stubborn and tough, then I'm sure that I can reason with him."

Stoick stopped short and gawked at his son, who shifted uncomfortably. "Reason with him?" He repeated. Hiccup nodded. "Son, the man is insane; he'll take the lives of those who question him without a second thought. Now that he has an army, there's no telling what lengths he'll go to in order to gain more followers."

"Followers? Insane?" Hiccup repeated incredulously. "Dad, how would you even know about Drago?"

A flash of pain flared across the elder Viking but disappeared as quickly as it came. "I've told you all you need to know," he decided, jerking his head. "Now come on! We'll deal with him another day."

"But the dragons-!?" Hiccup staggered, watching as the residents of the sanctuary began to fall under some sort of command and drift timidly to the ground, where the soldiers began to swarm them like bees over nectar.

"NOW!" Stoick grabbed Hiccup's arm, but before he could move, a large boom was heard from the inside of the sanctuary.

Suddenly shards of ice were everywhere and Hiccup rushed in with Toothless. He needed to find his son and it didn't matter what the circumstances were.

The Gods only knew why he had the audacity to leave in the first place.

...

"_Daddy!" _Came the sharp wail of a small boy deep within the sanctuary. "Daddy, please! Mommy, help me!"

Blood coated the small Viking's face. A dragon had been smashed nearby and Chaos was nowhere to be found. He was sobbing with grief. "Please! Please!"

There was no answer. Nobody to comfort him. Nobody to hug or comfort.

Hiccup backed away from the opening until he was shrouded by darkness in the mouth of a small cave. Another look and light shone at the end. He followed it and heard dragons outside. "Daddy?" He ran for it. "Daddy! Grandpa-Oof!"

He had smashed into the leather trousers of someone large beyond measure. "Grandpa?!" He looked up and gasped upon staring into the twisted face of Drago Bludfist himself.

He was grabbed a moment later.

...

"So when do we begin our attack?"

"We begin it now!" Eret barked. "Aim for the metal containers, but be careful!"

"Why? Being careful takes out half the fun!" Tuffnut whined sarcastically.

"If you want to fry a bounty of caged reptiles, be my guest," Eret snapped, "But I do hope you'll have the common sense to tread carefully."

They glided above the chaos of dragons from either side snapping and biting and tearing at each other, and they circled the area. "This looks real dangerous!" Astrid shouted. "Everyone keep your eyes peeled-"

"For what?" Snotlout shouted.

Astrid groaned but went on, "For the Hiccups, Stoick, and Gobber! If any of them are being held hostage, then do whatever you can to get them back! Eret, any tips!?"

Eret's expression darkened considerably. "If you see a man with twisted locks and a dragon-skin cloak," he growled, "take him out. And beware of his Bewilderbeast. He controls it."

Before Astrid could ask him to clarify, a shower of arrows rained down upon them, some luckily bouncing off their sparse armor, some striking their unfortunate reptilian counterparts in an array of bodily regions, causing them to cry out, screech, and roar.

"Everyone up!" Astrid shouted, and the dragons dipped down to avoid a sudden barrage of bolas. "V-formation!" Together, they flew over the soldiers and began to harshly vandalize their large selection of weaponry, such as bola laughers, stone catapults, and most importantly, the metal containers, which withheld the imprisoned dragons with their metal teeth.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut took special charge of those, carefully dodging and weaving to avoid multiple onslaughts of arrows and spears to rip open the cages and free the trapped reptiles, which all flew away with grace. Fishlegs, with Eret beside him, carefully steered Meatlug to the catapults, to which she spewed out a large portion of lava, splattering it mercilessly onto the soldiers handling them.

Eret winced at the sight of men he knew for so long getting injured and even killed as the riders advanced, but he tried to shake the feeling off of him. He had no obligation to neither help nor feel for these people anymore when they couldn't do the same for him.

And then-

"THERE HE IS!" Astrid shouted, drawing everyone's attention toward to where she was indicating with a flexed finger. And there he was! Hiccup, scarlet locks, fuzzy vest, horned helmet, scabbed palms and all. But... Why was he in the middle of the battlefield? Astrid squinted and drew her axe in her tightened fist.

"Is that your-?" Eret gasped. "Drago!"

"I swear to Thor," Astrid seethed as she swooped down toward the two figures in the midst of the battle, "If he even touches one hair on my kid's head, I'm gonna chop off his arms _and_ his legs."

...

"The Vigilante's apprentice... So Eret was right," Drago mused, looming over the oblivious child.

Now, although Hiccup Horrendous Haddock IV was naive, he was not unintelligent. In fact, he was rather clever for a boy his age. It was not lost to him that this man, whoever he was, was somehow connected to this intricate battle of will. And that he, surrounded by the chaos, was not about to change anything about the situation.

"Sir, why are you doing this?" He inquired. He received no answer, so he tried to press a little harder. "Everyone's fighting; that's not good!" He protested, clasping his tiny, cold fingers together. He felt cold all over, and the hardened gaze of the large man before him wasn't helping. "Please, I-"

Due to the pain of the man reaching forward and curling his fingers around his hair (removing his horned helmet in the process) the young lad stopped short and let out a small shriek. "OW! W-WAIT!"

"Who are you?!" The man barked in the most gravely voice the boy had ever heard. It was outrageous enough for him to stop struggling and stare incredulously into the man's face.

"I asked you a question, boy," the ominous man repeated darkly, but instead of answering said question, Hiccup inquired something completely random.

"Are you...gargling marbles?" He asked timidly. "I can't understand what you're saying."

Drago's eyelid twitched. "Can't understand?" He growled softly before releasing the boy, who fell to the frozen ground with a thump. With his thickly gloved fingers, the conqueror drew his sword and pointed it against the boy's chest. "How about now?"

Hiccup hastily nodded and pursed his lips. "-Er, yes!"

"Then you will tell me," the man now smiled, "Who are you and **where** is the Vigilante?"

...

"I can't find him!" Hiccup Haddock III cried, punching a random ice boulder in frustration. "This doesn't make any sense! Where could he go!?"

The external shouts of men once again drew their attention, and looking to the many caves that led outside, Stoick and Hiccup caught each other's horrified gazes. "He wouldn't," they both said in unison before racing outside once more.

...

It didn't take long for Hiccup to catch up with son and Drago, and to see the second Bewilderbeast. And that point in time filled him filled with so much shock that he could barely see straight. "STOP!"

Nearby, Fishlegs screamed, "CLASS TEN!"

Hiccup used all his might to steer Toothless toward the conflicting figures and forced the dragon to land between them. With a small heave, he leapt from the beast and ran to his frightened son, bravely pushing the young lad behind him, "Do not move," he ordered him severely, and then beheld the ominous man, who chuckled menacingly.

"So," came the guttural chuckle of the hunched being, before he flourished with his right hand. "_This_ is the great dragon master my men told me about?" He guffawed with disbelief. "The son of Stoick the Vast, famous chief of Berk?" He jovial expression abruptly went south. "What _shame_ the man must have felt, to have brought you into the world!"

Hiccup paid no mind to the obvious stab, and instead got straight to exchange. "Drago Bludfist, I presume?" He asked shakily, nudging his son into place when he became curious and peeked around his father's back.

Drago nodded, amused at the wavering he had caused to override the nasally voice of his new adversary. "The one and only," he smoothly replied, nonchalantly taking a step forward. "Is it all that hard to tell?"

"Nope, not at all," piped the youngest of the standoff, causing both men to redirect their gazes. "You've got dreadlocks, thick eyebrows, and the grittiest—"

"Quiet!" Hissed Hiccup to his boy, and then to Drago he asked, "All this loss, this pain, this death, and for what?" He paused to let it sink in. "Power?" He asked angrily, remembering Alvin the Treacherous. "Vengeance?" He suggested with disgust, remembering Dagur the Deranged. Wealth was his final prediction as he remembered the Grimborg brothers.

There was a pregnant pause, and Hiccup had to add, "Because what you're doing is not only doing wrong to the dragons, but to the rest of mankind. It has to stop."

"It could." Drago glanced off as if considering the young man's words. Hiccup tensed and waited, hoping that his advice has sunk in and he had hit some kind of nerve, but the man only replied with, "That's a fine specimen you have there. It will be a fine addition to my army."

"Absolutely not," Hiccup calmly refused. "He's spoken for. But while we're on the subject of your army...why have one?"

Drago looked genuinely surprised the other man would ask so straightforwardly, and it was enough to probe an answer. "Oh, I have one specific purpose and it can be done candidly," he explained with a rotten grin. "I can rid this world of its fear and _rise_ above those wretched reptiles. Rise by putting them in their rightful places."

Hiccup bit his lip. ""You" and "afraid" are pretty incongruous if you ask me," he quietly doubted. "What's a guy like _you_ so afraid of?"

Drago narrowed his eyes and Hiccup knew that he had hit a nerve. "Fear itself," the warlord answered. "I knew I was a lowly child having watched my village burn, my family taken, but now I have the answer: rise above the fear of dragons!"

"By using a _dragon_ army?" Hiccup emphasized, hoping Drago would see the irony. Though, in war, it DID make sense to capture the enemy, switch their stanzas, and have them fight for you. And Drago knew this.

"Well," he smirked, "You need dragons to conquer other dragons."

"Or perhaps you need them to conquer other people," Hiccup accused in a low voice. "To silence those who speak out and to vanquish those who rebel."

Drago just chuckled again. "Clever boy. You would also make a fine addition to my crew. It's not every day that one conquers a Nightfury."

Toothless snarled and Hiccup swallowed hard while he tried to think of a way he could possibly change the mind of this man. "Listen," he tried. "Dragons are amazing creatures that can bring people together."

Drago chuckled sinisterly at that. His laugh was a horrible, guttural scratch that made Hiccup's skin crawl. "Or tear them apart," he scorned; unveiling his hidden left arm, apparently completely missing with a frightening metal replacement.

Hiccup gestured to his own leg, hoping to make a subtle assembly to Drago that the other man could fathom. "They CAN be tamed and trained without using violence," He assured, moving backward towards Toothless, keeping his son behind him all the while. "Just let me show y-"

"No!" Drago abruptly barked out, cutting off Hiccup. "Let ME show YOU!" And with that said and done, Drago let out an ear splitting scream and waved his staff in erratic circles. Hiccup IV cowered behind his father to hide from the insane man before them.

"We have to go, Daddy!" He cried.

Hiccup didn't have the gall to argue. He had gotten what he had come for anyways. Unwilling to let Hiccup run on his own, he grabbed his son and hoisted him over his shoulder, despite the lad's verbal protests. "Alright, alright," he assured. "Let's go! C'mon bud!"

Toothless leapt in front of them, baring his sharp fangs and snarling. It was startling enough for Hiccup to stumble and fall backward into the snow and ice, his son following suit. Together they witnessed a very angry Toothless, saliva dripping from his razor blade teeth.

"Witness the true power of will," Drago sneered, pointing his staff straight at Toothless's furious muzzle. "In the face of it? You. Are. Nothing," he harshly enunciated. He then pointed the staff in their direction, and Toothless turned accordingly.

Both males tensed and scrambled to their feet, Hiccup hiding behind his father despite claiming that he was afraid of nothing. "What did he just tell you?" The older of the two whispered worriedly, holding out an outstretched hand.

To his growing dread, the Nightfury gave no indication that he had even heard his master, or more importantly, that he was going to listen. Instead of heeding to the man, he was going to comply with the alpha; and why wouldn't he? The alpha was king. And the man by the right hand of the king was his counterpart.

"_Kill le spare_," hissed his King, narrowing its large yellow eyes to perpetrate his will onto the much smaller dragon. "_Kill et_."

"Bud? Toothless!"

"_Yesssss_..." Toothless snarled mindlessly, his pupils narrowing into slits until his visioned blurred into red mist. "_Kill zeeee spare... Kill ze-NO!_"

"Toothless, snap out of it!"

Most of his primal yearned to follow through with the alpha's command, but a small, smothered part of him was screaming at him to stop. _"DO NOT OBEY ZE KING! DO NOT KILL ZE YOUNG OF ZHOUR HUMAN-...Yessssss...kill it... NO! ...Yes... NO! ...Yes... ...Yes... ...N- ...Yes... ...Yes... ...YES..."_

_"Yes,"_ the King encouraged, following Drago's wishes. _"Kill it... Rid le world of le runt."_

Toothless snarled, charged up his plasma, and fired.

It caught Hiccup off guard to say the least, to see that plasma blast fly at his son at speeds unimaginable.

How and when had Hiccup moved from the spot he was instructed to wait? He would never know, and now his boy was in a fatal spot indeed. Very fatal.

Stupid kid. Never listened. Never abided by the rules not commands.

But Hiccup didn't care about those things in the least at that moment. He knew that he couldn't move fast enough to save his boy. "_My child is going to die_."

A flash of blonde and red blocked the plasma blast and the area exploded with purple and white, ice shards sprinkling said premise.

Hiccup was knocked backward by the blast radius and the world went blurry. His ears rung. His upper neck sizzled. And he slowly came to just in time to witness Drago slinking away. He coughed and rolled onto his stomach, reaching out to Drago with a hand, his mind whirling in a fit of fury. That-That monstrous-!

_Hiccup_!

With horror slamming into his dizzy mind and aching heart like a boat into boulders, Hiccup scrambled to his aching feet, ignoring the horrible stabbing sensation in his neck, and got his first look at the horrific, mentally oppressive scene before him. He stared for a quick moment and then choked, falling heavily to his slim knees, which knocked together before they gave way. Lightheaded and vision blurred due to the blast, Hiccup slowly crawled over to the heap of body parts and bloody mass.

"A-Astrid..." He croaked, complexion pale as the snow as he shuffled his shaky self to the mess of hair and skin, cloaked by a familiar fur hood, and his worst fear was confirmed. "Astrid..." He choked. With a trembling hand, he reached out to touch the blonde locks of hair, tinted with blood, and hastily brushed the strands away.

She...She was unconscious. She had to be. Her clothes were too thick to spectate any breathing movement, but-but... Hiccup gently grabbed her arm, heavy with damp leather and fur, and used the appendage to guide the rest of her body to the side.

"H-Hiccup?"

That was his whisper; heart flickering with hope as the tiny, curled up Viking flinched at the sound of his name. Hiccup was not surprised to see a terrified, tear-painted face reveal itself when his son moved one of his thin arms; the other was tucked beneath his mother, still unmoving. He whimpered and the older of the two asked him, voice wavering and bordering on hysteria,

"Is she alive?"

The boy said nothing, but hid his red face again.

An erratic, uncontrolled bout of anger kindled within Hiccup and he couldn't take it anymore.

"IS SHE ALIVE!?" He screamed, taking hold of his son by the collar, lifting him up and shaking him.

"ANSWER ME! NOW!"

Instead of any confirmation, the boy merely shrieked and socked his father in the jaw, causing him to fall backward, lose his grip on said boy, and cover his bruising jaw with both hands.

"Don't hurt me!" Came the terrified cry of his child as Hiccup gritted his teeth with pain and squeezed his tearful eyes shut. "It wasn't my fault! It wasn't! I promise! I promise! Muh-Mommy! _Mama_!" And then came the scamper of footsteps fading away into oblivion.

For a moment, Hiccup lay dazed, mind foggy, star-gazing, bloody, and hurt. And just a few feet away lay Astrid, who must've risked her life by jumping in front of her firstborn, courageous enough to stand between the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, and it's prey.

"_Unlike me,_" Hiccup thought dully, hands falling limply on the icy, rocky ground. "_I can't even talk to my own son. Astrid, how did you do it?" _

How DID she do it? Come between the dragon and her son? She had to have been quite a way aways while her husband had been right there. Right there and he'd let his pet dragon stalk his own child, thinking he could snap the beast out of its hypnotized state. But it didn't work. And now his whole family was paying the price. Sigrun and Sigmund would grow up alone, and he himself was probably to be executed under the claws of slave dragons or the hand of Drago himself.

All because of...him.

_"I am a horrible father,"_ Hiccup thought solemnly, mustering whatever strength he had remaining to push himself onto his hands and knees, head bowed, looking nothing like a future chief and more like an insane, miserable animal, which he was actually becoming as this dragged on. And now her. "Oh, Astrid," he withered, dragging himself over to her body, paying no mind to the smoke and ash and blood.

He didn't care where Toothless was anymore.

He pulled himself in front of her and touched her hand, frosted with a rare case of bloody ice, due to the freezing weather. He collapsed, ears ringing, and lay her forehead against hers, staring deeply at her beautiful face, ashy and bloody but nonetheless stunning. He smiled despite the tears rolling down his face. "_I'll be with you soon," _he thought agonizingly, letting his head fall onto the pebbled ground, warm with cooling plasma._ "I love you more than anything in this world."_

The world was tilting as he laid there, the shock overtaking him. And when the shouts of soldiers and screeching of dragons faded into nothingness, he internally frowned.

_"Can't Drago just kill me already and get it over with?"_ He thought irritably. "_He's won. He's killed Astrid. Me. I lost. Get it over...with..."_

And with that thought and done, he fell into unconsciousness, unaware of his own injuries.

...

_Hiccup IV sprinted through the brush, choking on his own mucus and sobs, blinded by tears._

_His mother was dead because of him._

_His mother was dead._

_His mother. Was. Dead. _

_And it was his entire fault._

_He burst out of the plants and reached a small cove of ice and screamed to Valhalla, "Mama! Mama, I didn't mean it! Everything! I didn't mean any of it! I promise!" He collapsed to his knees and sobbed and heaved. "I promise..." He let himself fall to the side and he curled up into a ball. "I promise I didn't mean it..."_

...

"I'm horrible. There's no point in doubting it anymore," Hiccup moaned, burying his head in his hands. Gobber, who was wrapping up his burnt neck, sighed and said, "Beating yerself up about et isn't goin' to solve anythin', lad. Ye know that."

"I'm well aware," Hiccup replied curtly, yanking his throat away from his boss's grip, ignoring the pain. "And I don't care. If it weren't for me, my son wouldn't be gone again and Astrid wouldn't be-..."

Drago's army had fled into the silvery-white mist. They had got what they wanted: the King of the sanctuary under Drago's control. True to his word, Toothless had lost his power of will and was now a part of the army, a mindless slave like the rest of those under that awful man's rule.

Astrid's case was still unknown. Stoick had carried her still form into a sheltered cave and examined her while everyone else waited anxiously outside. Fishlegs had adopted Hiccup's pacing habit, the twins for once sat quietly, and Snotlout bowed his head in his hands, parallel to his cousin sitting diagonally across from him. Hookfang, along with the rest of the other dragons had been taken as well, leaving their disgruntled riders to mope in the wake of the now seemingly empty place that was once a sanctuary.

Eret personally winced at the sight and hugged his knees, the stress of the day wearing down on his heavy heart like nothing else could. He had been involved with the monstrous project, the project that had wiped out this place of peace and beauty. And although he and his people had been against it from the start, he couldn't help but feel at fault.

Now it was just a cheap pile of ice, Snotlout grumped, wiping at his eyes. He'd been the first to see his nephew being shaken by his own father, something Snotlout was shocked to see. It was unheard of.

_"But he was panicked,"_ the voice in his head reasoned. _"He was delirious at that point."_

"_He should've handled it differently_," Snotlout internally argued. He'd learned a long time ago that always speaking your mind wasn't the greatest idea. But even as he thought this, even he had to admit that in a situation as serious as this one, Hiccup did have reasoning to have gone completely nuts. For instance, he thought his wife had died. That would be enough to drive anyone with a heart star-raving mad.

"_You're right,"_ the voice admitted a bit too casually in spite of the circumstances. _"Why don't you talk to him and find out yourself?"_

It was all Snotlout could do to keep himself from barking out a sarcastic cackle. _"Talk to that wreck? Are ya crazy?"_

_"Seeing how I am a part of you, yes."_ Snotlout rolled his eyes at the blatant response. _"And this is about him and his son and wife, not you. But you do have a responsibility within this matter, Snotlout. Remember that."_

Snotlout considered that for a moment and was about to respond, when Stoick emerged from the cave. Everyone instantly jumped up to hear the results, hearts thudding behind their rib cages and sweat heading on their foreheads.

Stoick was solemn when he announced, "She's alive." Everyone breathed out a huge sigh of relief, but the chief held up a hand, looking quite pale and troubled. "Hiccup, please come with me."

Snotlout watched as Hiccup's face went white with horror as he jumped to his "feet" and ran after his father. Meanwhile, everyone glanced at each other with worry.

"What do you think it is?" Ruffnut pondered nervously. "I'm scared, guys. Stoick looked freaked out about something, and he's never freaked out!" Tuffnut uttered out a small "yeah" in agreement.

Fishlegs threw in his two cents. "Perhaps an amputation is in need?" He guessed, equally as nervous as Ruffnut.

Gobber shook his head. "Ah'm goin' t' check," he proclaimed, hobbling toward the mouth of the cave, and when everyone went to follow him, he added, "the rest of ye stay. Put. There." They all stared at him sadly. He sighed. "Ye know what Ah mean." He went in.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut put their heads together and listened fretfully for any sign of distress or relief, while the remaining men just glanced at each other, both at a loss as to what and if they should do something to help.

"We could go in there, you know," Snotlout muttered, but Fishlegs was skeptical.

"Not yet," he discouraged. "We don't want to distress anyone with our presence."

"Then how come Gobber gets to go?!" Snotlout seethed. "Hiccup is my cousin. We're related, and if anyone should go in there to comfort him, it should be-"

"NO!"

A sharp cry from the cave disrupted the men's intense banter and they froze. The cry was Hiccup's, but it held no joy, no relief, only pain and sorrow. "Uh, what does _that_ entail?" Fishlegs whispered aloud what everyone was thinking.

With that said and done, everyone glanced at each other, exchanged looks of understanding, and ran for the cave. They got to the mouth, but didn't get any further, due to the mountain of a Chief blocking their way. Snotlout didn't get a good look at his face because Fishlegs was shoved back into him, most likely by a devastated; angry Stoick.

"Don't any one of you dare go in there," he hissed through gritted teeth, "lest you wish to be beheaded before this day is over."

...

_Chaos was very sad._

_His human was sad!_

_Not good! He needed to be happy again!_

_He shuffled to the miserable heap of a boy and playfully nipped at him. _

_"Play! Play! Play! Human! Play with me! Feel happy again!" He squawked, running around in crazy dizzying circles before jumping at the listless child again. "Play?"_

_He nipped at him several more times but to no avail did the child move. He looked dead._

...

Snotlout defied the chief. He actually gained the guts or stupidity to shove past the vast mountain of a man and entered the mouth of the cave, ignoring gasps of his counterparts and the bellow of his leader.

He should have listened.

Upon entering, he discovered a sorry sight. Astrid was a bloody mess, wrapped up by leather furs torn from Stoick's cloak and lying down atop a bed of ice. Hiccup knelt beside her, trying to hold it all together, trying to keep from sobbing out his heart.

But she was alive!

She was breathing! Whispering incoherently and dizzy looking, but she was alive. And Hiccup, he had one hand clutching her stiff, cold one while the other beat at his forehead. Snotlout frowned. Her injuries looked mild on her upper body, but it wasn't until he got a good look at her plump, pregnant torso where the blast had-...Oh...no...

"Get out!" Stoick roared, tangling his fingers within Snotlout's inky black hair and yanking his boisterous form backwards. "You son of a _tík! _Get out this instant!" He was about to hurl the young man from the cave and into the frozen water of the beach, but a small, devastated voice paused his intended ministrations.

"Dad," whispered the auburn-haired Viking, using the hand that was beating his forehead to extend out. "Let...Let him stay. ...Please. I-I trust him." He averted his gaze having said that and focused on his wife.

Snotlout gaped at him in soft surprise, and then inaudibly whimpered as Stoick loosened his grip and shoved him toward the broken couple. "Don't even think about touching her," the chief growled as a final warning. After Snotlout gave him a hasty nod of understanding, Stoick vacated the premises, leaving the three Vikings alone.

"...Thank for uh, keeping your dad from beheading me," Snotlout chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "You saved my skin there, really."

"Not hers," Hiccup mumbled through his soft tremors. "Not my baby's. Not my son's." He let out a hysterical laugh then, causing Snotlout to feel slightly wary of his cousin's mental state, which he sure was deteriorating due to the circumstances. "Gods, I'm really useless." Snotlout was about to debunk this statement when Hiccup added,

"Family. I just-I never do the right thing. Dad once told me that...well, he didn't want me to raise my kids the way he raised me." He laughed again, slapping a hand over his mouth and bowing his head. "Gods, I turned out to be so much worse. So much worse."

Snotlout was utterly perplexed. "Untrue!" He snapped. "Dude, I don't even want to know what's possessing you right now that makes you think that you're a terrible dad. I mean, everyone's got their ups and downs, so what makes you so much worse?"

Hiccup groaned through his tears. "I've heard this before, Snotlout. It's your pity talking. If I'd just listened to my dad and avoided Drago, Astrid wouldn't be like this, my son wouldn't be..." He hoped to Gods that his firstborn was still alive. If he died, then he wouldn't be able to live. It was tragic enough to lose his unborn baby, but to lose another child? He would kill himself before that happened.

"Find him!" Snotlout barked, grabbing his cousin by the shoulders. For once, he hated to be so brash, but Hiccup needed to snap out of his depression. "Find him, talk to him, and don't even think about coming back until you come to a resolution." Hiccup stared at him and Snotlout released his shoulders.

"Snotlout-"

"Do it for Astrid," the brawnier male urged. "If not for anyone else, do it for the girl you love." Hiccup let out a sob at that. "C'mon man," Snotlout softened his tone. "She needs you more than ever now. Do you know how broken she'd be if her boy never returned?"

Hiccup sighed, smearing the rivulets of salty water on his cheeks. "Bro-Broken into a million li-little pieces," he admitted. Snotlout nodded. "We're already broken as it is."

"Exactly!" He proclaimed. "After this, I can't imagine she'll want to deal with any more hardship, so do her the biggest favor you could ever give her. Find your son and mend your relationship."

Hiccup considered this and finally let out a cold, airy sigh. "I-It won't be easy," he mumbled, and Snotlout scoffed.

"Puh-LEASE. Do you have any idea how hard it was to confess that I was responsible for the er-incident? At least you're dealing with a kid; I dealt with _you_, not to mention _Stoick_ and _Astrid_ breathing down my neck."

Hiccup let out a small, choking laugh at that, and Snotlout smiled kindly. "Hey," he remarked, gaining his cousin's attention and placing a hand on his scrawny shoulder. "It's gonna be okay. I guarantee it."

Hiccup revealed a small smile of his own, despite the miserable circumstances. "You guarantee it, huh?" Snotlout nodded, and Hiccup covered the hand placed on his shoulder with his own cold fingers. "I'll keep that declaration in mind."

"Good on you, Hiccup. Good on you."

...

The lone, boy's freezing digit absently traced a patch of Jokul's delicate work, his long scarlet locks, fur clothing, and even horned helmet adopting a fine layer of frost that clung to its host and refused to let go.

He hadn't anywhere to go now. His mother was dead, his father surely hated him for it, and his home was going if not already destroyed by the alpha dragons. His situation was hopeless; he was hopeless and nobody on Berk could help him.

So you can imagine his surprise when he heard the soft gentle call of his father echoing against the tight, surrounding walls of aquamarine ice. The voice itself made his blood run cold, the last part of him that wasn't freezing already.

"Hiccup?" Came the nasally voice, hoarse with swallowed mucus from all the sobbing. "Son?"

A small gasp was Hiccup's only reply as he crouched and crawled into the tight space to join his trembling mess of a son. Keeping his movements slow and smooth, Hiccup sat himself opposite of his child and stayed quiet for a few moments. The younger of the two watched him warily, with a type of caution that projected just how fearful he was of the man who had created him. But Hiccup wouldn't allow this fear to overtake the scarred mind of his young boy.

His firstborn, with the fire of a Monstrous Nightmare, the keenness of a Deadly Nadder, the complexity of a Zippleback, the sneakiness of a Terrible Terror, the rowdiness of a Gronkle, and bravery of a Nightfury, had witnessed in just a few short days the very worst of mankind, and had just witnessed his mother fall.

"She's alive, you know," Hiccup informed the boy. He watched with relief as a great bout of anxiety and shame melt away from said boy, albeit much fear and ugliness remained. "She misses you," the young man said quietly, gasping his hands on his lap. "I'm missing you. Grandpa's mi-"

"It's m-muh fault," came the young boy's shaky, nearly unintelligible interruption, and he slid his helmet over his dull, emerald eyes. "Mommy gah hurt 'cause o' me," he sniffled guiltily; obscuring his view from what he knew would be his father's disappointed face. I don' wanna hurt her, n-not again. She's-She hates me."

Hiccup was beyond broken. "Oh, no, Bud-"

"She does!" Snarled the younger Viking to cut off his elder. Only now did he allow his helmet to fall back so his furious, shattered eyes would meet his father's own ones. "And you do too! I KNOW you do! I KNOW!"

And all the while, the heir of Berk slowly shook his head, internally pleading for his son to allow him to clarify, allow him to elucidate, allow him to apologize for the emotionally charged crimes he had committed against his son.

"Did... Did I ever tell you story of how your mother and I brought you into the world?" He asked. His question was strange and out of place enough that the young boy paused, albeit to glare at him.

"Countless times."

"Right, right," the man admitted quietly. "Anyway, we were stranded-"

"-On an island," the child interrupted sullenly, bunching his knees up to his face.

Hiccup closed his eyes, checking his temper. "Just let me finish," he sighed, and the younger Viking gestured for him to go on. "Right. Well, your mother was in labor, and I'm freaking out and while the dragons are screeching-"

Chaos squawked proudly. He remembered that.

Hiccup almost smiled at the memory. "Your poor mother is crying and while I'm trying to comfort her, I kept wondering... "Who is this little boy going to be?" There was a short silence.

"Or girl!" Hiccup piped up with a half shoulder shrug.

"Or girl!" The young man agreed. "Because at that point, we didn't know, but the point is..." He knelt by his son's side and placed a gentle loving hand on his shoulder.

"Hiccup, I'm _so_ glad it was you," he whispered with a smile.

The scarlet-haired child glanced at him, eyes brimming with tears. "But mommy-"

"It's not your fault," Hiccup reminded him, wagging a finger, and then placed it on his own chest, "It's mine. And I never meant to hurt you the way I did. My love was always something you should've always had, not something that you had to earn. And I love you, Son," he smiled, placing a hand under the boy's chin to tilt his head up. "I do."

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock IV broke down then, him dam collapsing and the waterworks spurting out of his eyes. With a sharp cry, he allowed his father's sturdy, slim arms to wrap around his own lithe form and hold him close, all while his son's echoed through the dark icy caves.

"I-I'm sorry!" Cried the boy, burying his face in his father's chest, all the while his horned helmet fell from his noggin and clattered to the ground. "I'm so sorry!" An evil weight had been lifted from the boy's mind, and he began to slightly smile through his tears.

...

Drago and his fleet were approaching Berk much quicker than anyone had anticipated. Fortunately, the weather has been placid, allowing them easier access to the intended target. An island littered with dragon sympathizers had to be "corrected", and the warlord fully intended to make due process using as many measures as he had in store.

It wouldn't be long now. Today, in fact, would be a day stained with blood, a historical massacre if the Vikings refused to cooperate with Drago. He chuckled under breath upon the helm. Vikings were stereotyped to be big stubborn brutes, with the exemption of a few. He just might have to resort to brutal force right away and skip the negotiations. What was the point, if the chief had declared adversity? What was the point of convincing those people to put their disgusting pets behind bars where they belonged if they weren't going to listen?

Drago turned on his heels.

It would be an interesting development.

...

Meanwhile, the team had gotten together reconciled at last, and their two biggest obstacles had to be overcome. One was right before them; a sickly, injured Astrid coupled with a baby who had passed on by the blast of Toothless. Although it made Hiccup sick to his stomach, want to scream so that Odin could hear, and beat the living tar out of the Nightfury, he knew that it wasn't the dragon's fault. He had been under the control of the Alpha just as it had been all those years ago when the dragons had been raiding the village under the command of the Queen.

Something had to be done about Drago and fast. Lest they wanted to live in a world of conquer or be conquered, and have Drago at the top of the pyramid. That couldn't happen. Hiccup would throw aside his moral and kill the monster if it did. Instead of waiting for that to happen they would have to assassinate him before he could try anything else.

Hiccup III let Astrid use his lap as a pillow to protect her noggin from the ice, and he stroked her hair while she slept and mumbled deliriously. The group was huddled, trying to formulate a plan to infiltrate Drago's army before he got to Berk.

"The dragons are gone, in case you haven't noticed," Ruffnut scoffed, resting her chin in her callused palms while her brother nodded.

Fishlegs glanced down to the immobile girl and sorrowfully added, "Not to mention that Astrid is severely injured! Enough jostling and-and she's sure to die!"

Hiccup winced when everyone groaned. Way to ruin it. "Thank you for summing that up," he sarcastically remarked, "but you've got a good point. We need to build a means of transportation safe enough for someone in Astrid's state to use. So, any ideas?"

There was a silence, which was broken by Tuffnut muttering, "...Eh, that's _your_ job."

Hiccup blinked and pointed to himself. "Mine?"

"Yeah," Snotlout joined, "you're the idea man. We're just your lackeys who explode things."

Fishlegs frowned. "I don't care for that category." Gobber and Stoick nodded in agreement, arms crossed.

A small squawk. The group jumped at the noise entering the atmosphere and the ones standing whipped around to see what had caused the noise. Another squawk. Ruffnut gasped. And another squawk. And another. Soon, dozens of baby dragons emerged from the caves, and the group stared at them in wonder.

"Oh, they're babies! They wouldn't listen to their own elders let alone a monster!" Fishlegs concluded what everyone was thinking. "Fascinating!"

"Not really. It's no different than Hookfang; he never listens to me," Snotlout groaned, causing the rest of the group to cackle.

Hiccup smiled softly.

"It's a good start," Snotlout assured, rolling his eyes. "But we need to work together if we're going to protect the village."

...

**Author's Note: ...You know, in hindsight, I'm not too sure what to say. The adventure has been beyond anything I could have written and experienced. I can't say I can say the same for everyone, but hopefully the majority will understand.**

**Shmoop**

**Mugs- a reoccurring theme in the passages; they tend to appear whenever an intense scene is in place, for example: the night Snotlout intentionally intoxicated Hiccup and Astrid, the exchange between Hiccup and Helga, Yaknog (ugh), and the end of the first installment, with the exchange between Hiccup and Snotlout. **

**Fathering: At the beginning of the story, Stoick makes his son promise to be a better father than he, as he was a somewhat neglectful parent pertaining to how much he chose not to listen to his son rather than sit down and talk to him.**

**Apologies- How many times can people say it? According to God? 77 times. According to me? Er...God, I love you, but I think I've done more than 77 evil deeds in my life that I've apologized for. Man, that makes me sound evil. But anyway, every major character in the story has apologized for something. Something more important than others, but nevertheless. We've got small things like Helga and Stoick apologizing to Hiccup, but the big one is Snotlout gaining the backbone to apologize to his cousin about all the trouble he caused him.**

**Mental Illness: In Hiccup's day, mental illnesses were deemed as curses of the Gods, not something in the mind. Without the scientific research that we have today, even Hiccup could not define his son's anger plague, which was in fact, autism; he was not a sociopath nor psychopath. Helga's got the good old aggressive nature, and Snotlout's got a great case of narcissism. In short, our characters are sick in the head. Yippee. Oh, and I can get away with that "joke" since I've got a few mental illnesses myself. Take depression and Obsessive Compulsion Disorder pills morning, noon, and night.**


	20. --End

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! I was pretty sheepish about the amount of negative reviews I received for the last chapter, which was actually very understandable if one looked into it. Doesn't mean I was any less disappointed that y'all were disappointed, haha! But you'll be happy to know that I'll revise many elements of last chapter, so any qualms that anyone had with it are hopefully abated.**

**Anyway, commence the responses!**

**Guardian of Azarath: Thank you for being brutally honest, and I mean that sincerely. I profess, I was rather idle with last chapter's writing, and I'm glad you pointed it out. It woke me up and it means that I shouldn't rush but rather take my time to look deeper into my work. What was undermined needed to be written, so you'll be happy to know that I'll go back and revise, just for you, bro! ;) Thank you so much for everything you've done for me; you've inspired me, cracked me up, and gave me enough criticism so that not only your reviews were light hearted but also they could be taken seriously in terms of solemn critique.**

**FluentFletcher2: Hi-Ho! Cheerio! Thank you for your feedback. You aren't the only one who caught on that I wasn't feeling particularly creative with the last chapter. It was terribly rushed, and I didn't care until you guys told me. So thanks again for the review, Fletcher. It really helps a lot. More than most would think.**

**A Person Who Likes Comedy: Oh, you little dickens, you! ^^ You've got to be the sweetest bro on this site! Even at my worst, you tell me to keep my chin up and not to worry, because everyone makes mistakes. How true and wise of you to say. Keep 'em nice reviews coming, man!**

**CassandraDayTree: Thanks dude! I always appreciate your reviews and how you manage to do one for every single chapter. I hope that you can leave a lengthy one for this chapter because I want to hear more from you instead of just the occasional "good job".**

**Noname: Bro-Bro, you da best. I know that this is going to turn into "you-are-better" contest but you are better than me. ^^**

**The Foresaken Twist:**

...

**Chapter Nineteen~ _End_**

"_This_ was your plan?!" Came the alarmed yet jubilant cry of Gobber the Blacksmith as he straggled behind the group that was traveling at impending speeds. "This-is **incredibly** dangerous!"

"Who said babies were easy to deal with?" Hiccup queried with a smile, and easily held onto the throat of his baby dragon. "Besides, it was approved."

"Whoa! Eh, by whom would that be?" Gobber asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"By me," came Hiccup's tranquil reply.

At the back of the group, Stoick hugged his hatchling and huffed, "I never would have approved!" He was rather disgruntled since his weight obstructed his poor hatchling from flying any faster than it could with him on its back.

"Well, then I guess it's a good thing I never listen," Hiccup replied with a shrug and a mumble, quiet enough that his son couldn't pick up and give him ideas. With a small icy sigh, he held his wife close, nestling her between the back of the dragon's head and his chest. He must have apologized to her, even though she could not hear him, over a thousand times. Because of him, she was hurt-breathing, thankfully, if not raggedly, but she was alive and that was all that mattered. She had suffered too many hardships for today, and he didn't want to know if he could handle his wife dying. There was only one plan in mind: Get to Drago, defeat him, and get their dragons back.

Unfortunately, there was more to the obstacle than they could safely overcome. Not only had Drago control over TWO alphas, but the entirety of the sanctuary's former residents, and if he had gotten to Berk, the Berkian dragons as well. They couldn't just rush into battle all willy-nilly, Stoick had pointed out. They needed a well-thought-out strategy to overwhelm Drago and his army of human and beast.

Luckily, they had an inside man.

Eret was wheezing and incredibly unnerved as he clung feverishly to his baby dragon, his fingers digging painfully into the leathery scales. "Can't say I'm finding this fun," he hissed through gritted teeth, squeezing his eyes shut, "but it's better than a desolate isle!"

"Eret," yelled Hiccup, his voice echoing within the cave walls. "You need to give us cover and take out the weak points of the army."

"On my own?" Squawked Eret before Hiccup could go on.

"Not alone," Ruffnut interfered, smirking saucily, "you son of an Eret, I'll be there t' help ya out." Tuffnut retched. "Looks like I'm coming along too," he groaned, quite dissuaded by the idea, "since she and I will share Bark and Belch."

Hiccup nodded assumedly. "Exactly," he said. "We'll be there to help you, Eret. You're not alone in this." The Inuit stared at him, and then looked away, shrouded by memories of his shipmates, who would pledge him of the exact same thing if times got too rough for him alone to handle, and the day he was branded. "You're sure about that?" He slowly asked. "You aren't going to hand me off to Drago? Or keep me as a war prisoner?"

Hiccup raised his eyebrows. "Not unless you want to-"

"Gah! Heavens NO!" Eret retched, making a face. "I'd rather bathe in seal dung than go back to that vile, repulsive beast of a man."

"Then it's settled," Ruffnut cheerfully cackled, flying close to grip his muscular arm, which caused him to shudder. "Welcome to the team, crab-cake."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Stoick frowned. "There are bigger things to worry about right now. I suggest that we-"

"Go in, weapons BLAZING!" Shouted the twins in unison.

"NO," Stoick growled, palming his forehead in frustration. "We do that and they'll shoot us out of the sky in three seconds flat. And these things can't maneuver as well as our own," he pointed out, gesturing to the hatchlings, who squawked and wriggled playfully. The attitude of the twins dimmed a little at that.

"Oh," said Tuffnut gloomily.

"Come on, can't we just keep it simple like we always do?" Snotlout groaned from afar. "Bust in, take the dragons, and kick Drago's a-"

"Affirmative!" Came Gobber's jaunty voice. "C'mon, Stoick, ye big lug!" He teased. "We're all guilty of minimalism, an' when has that ever come t' bite us in the behinds?"

Everyone was quiet for a moment, and Eret quantified, "If you need information, I know Drago better than any of you." Everyone looked to him in interest, and he went on. "So to understand that he won't be expecting our presence is very important."

That much was obvious. "And?" Stoick pressed, rotating his hand.

"And he's never done well unprepared," Eret explained as a matter-of-fact. "No matter how powerful, it takes him a good while to strategize and on the base of a surprise attack, he's sure to crumble. He thinks we're stranded with no way out." He paused for a moment and watched with relief as it dawned on the riders. "I believe," he itemized with a smirk, "that a shock attack is the best approach."

"Haha! See?" Laughed a gleeful Tuffnut with a grin of his own.

Stoick thought for a moment, staring solemnly at the back of his hatchling's head before gazing at his son. "What say you, Hiccup?" He inquired curiously.

The man in question jerked his head up in surprise to find that everyone had been awaiting his opinion on the matter. "Well," he started, and ducked his head to avoid an icy stalactite, "I-I think that if Eret is as knowledgeable as he says he is about Drago's issue with time constraint, then we should probably do as he says."

Stoick pondered for a moment, licking his chapped lips, and Snotlout chimed in with, "What else have we to lose? Let's get 'im!"

Without missing a beat, the twins joined in. "Yeah, c'mon Chief!" "Let's kick his barmy butt all the way back to Helhiem!" Jeered Ruffnut while her brother cracked his knuckles. "Legs?" Even Fishlegs had to admit that to catch the enemy off-guard was the beast path to take, considering their unfortunate circumstances.

"I should probably watch over Astrid on the harbor stacks if they're available," he informed the group, and they all glanced at the poor woman with worry. "She's in no shape to join the battle."

Hiccup clutched his wife tighter to his chest and stroked his thumb over her cheek thoughtfully. "If…" He trailed off.

"If what?" Fishlegs asked, but the man in question shook his head with a forced smile.

"If you don't take good care of her, I'll come back to haunt you from the dead," cracked Hiccup, getting a small laugh from the group, even his son, who cackled. He was going to say to Fishlegs that he needed to take care of her in case they all perished, but the group didn't need to hear that when death was already looming in the distance.

"But who says we're going to die?" Snotlout scoffed. "We can do this!"

Stoick smiled and watched as his son took charge. "So it's settled. Fishlegs, take care of Astrid on one of the sea stacks. If anyone approaches and it's not us, fly for the hills. Snotlout, you stick with me and provide cover fire if the twins are captured. Ruff, Tuff, you two go _nuts_."

Said twins gaped, and for once were at a loss for words. "Uh… You…you're serious?" Tuffnut gasped. "What happened—What demon possessed our Hiccup?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and groaned at the ridiculous assumption. "Nothing did," he guaranteed. "I just want as much damage to inflict the army as possible. Which means you are our secret weapon. If things start to go downhill, you are going to get Barf and Belch to unleash as much firepower as dragonly possible on that army. But try to avoid the other dragons. Remember, they're in a trance. And if you can take out Drago, they'll be set free."

Ruffnut and Tuffnut squealed and shook in their seats. "Our time has come!" They cried in harmony, pumping their fists in the air.

Stoick put in his two cents with, "Gobber and I will bring up the rear and see if we can rescue any villagers or dragons. Lay some heavy fire, son," he advised. "You're good at that."

Of course, a certain someone didn't want to be left out of the picture. "What about me?!" Asked an eager Hiccup IV, ushering Chaos to catch up with his father. "What do I do?"

Everyone glanced at each other with unreadable expressions as the father of the young lad answered, "You have the most important job of all."

Hiccup perked and tried to peer over his father's shoulders to see his mother. "What's that?" He asked eagerly.

A bout of worry washed over the man, but he kept his composure. "Make sure your siblings are kept safe once we find them," he murmured as they exited the icy caves and out into the world.

It was time to make their mark.

...

Drago was exceptionally content that the only people that could stand in his way were gone. He was confident that they would die beached on that island in a matter of days, so he wasn't worried. Why should he be? Here he was, on Berk, the dragons completely under his control and the village of people (now his slaves) at his mercy from the elderly to the children.

He balanced his mutilated form on the giant, scarred tusk of the new member of his army: the great white Bewilderbeast of the anterior reservation. The original Bewilderbeast, the one made up of ash and smoke, took a rest at the base of the island in the cold water while the white one stood its titanic body over a heap of rubble that used to be a cluster of buildings. It towered dangerously over the mass of Vikings that had been forced into a huddling assemblage by the men of Drago's army, shivering and angry. Sigrun and Sigmund were amongst the throng, clutching each other like vices. They were in the middle of the clutch, believed to be the only surviving heirs to the tribe, by the kinfolk and by Drago.

The man chuckled, his deep, guttural voice vibrating like marbles in his throat. "It's ours," he murmured, gripping his staff loosely. "Berk is ours." He chuckled again, relaxed and confident. "We've won."

He concentrated his gaze down to the group of Vikings and centered in on the two heirs. On the outskirts of the huddle, the Nightfury (his prized possession) circled around them, snarling and snapping with his unsheathed teeth whenever someone would try to make a break for it. He made a fine guard animal, and would definitely be put to good use in the future.

Drago smirked as he watched it prowl. He did find that dragon amusing. Such a shame that it couldn't fly on its own, implicating figuration concerning the controls and gears so that he could ride the legendary beast himself. All in good time of course, he would assure himself. Now that the prevalent threat was out of his way, he had plenty of time to work with it.

After commanding the entranced Bewilderbeast to lower him down, he hopped off the tusk and onto the frozen dirty ground with a loud thud. When he landed, the soft murmuring in the large group ceased all together, and the whistling wind replaced said murmuring.

"Anxious?" He asked waggishly, but he received no answer. Children clung to their mothers and fathers glared at the perpetrator while the elderly shook their heads with disapproval. "Well, you have every right to be," he conveyed. "Before this day ends, you will all be under my command and become the newest addition to my army. And be warned. If any of you step out of line, there will be severe consequences." A stifled, collective gasp emitted among the Celtic group as they gaped at the man in disbelief.

Who did this monster think he was? Using his dominant to hypnotize their pets into obeying him, stealing onto their island, taking their weapons, threatening their lives, and all to turn them into slaves? Absolutely not! Despicable! They were Vikings, and as such, they were not about to go down without a fight.

"We'll never join you!" Came the high-pitched shout of an extremely brave or foolish figure in the near center of the unit, of a Shepard named Not-So-Silent-Sven. Drago's dark eyes flickered over to the now standing man, all bold and insubordinate. How amusing.

"Ever!" The man shouted again, crossing his arms.

Hm. It looked like he needed to be corrected, unless Drago wanted him to start some sort of uprising. So the vanquisher laughed to illustrate what little threat Sven was. And it caught said Shepard off-guard. "What would you rather _do!?" _He guffawed. "Die!?"

"Yes!" Unfortunately, Sven was not so wise as he was passionate. "I would rather die than help such _swine_!" He declared, and the village inhabitants marveled at him, both fearful and amazed. Drago just shook his head with a wide smirk and gave a signal.

Instantly, his soldiers swarmed the shivering faction and plucked out not Sven from its hold, but the two heirs, who whimpered. The Vikings twitched, wanting so badly to help, but with their own pets fuming down their necks, it was difficult to find the will.

"You're keen to die," Drago casually reaffirmed as the twins were dragged before him, held by their necks, and then shoved to their knees. Sigrun gaped up at Drago with her teary, bloodshot azure eyes and hugged her brother, who was sobbing softly. "But are you willing to let _them_ die?"

Sven faltered. He hadn't been expecting this.

"Hm?" Drago questioned before slamming the point of his staff into the little girl's throat, enough to shock her back onto the dirt, but not enough to be lethal. She screamed then, clutching the blade between her tiny fingers and her legs flailed uselessly.

"Muh-MAMA!" Sigrun sobbed hoarsely from earlier crying, her leather dress ripping from the force of her kicks. "DADA! H-HELP ME, MAMA!" Drago paid no attention to her, or to little Sigmund kicking his leg in retaliation.

Instead he watched Sven, who looked quite troubled indeed. "Your only heirs to the throne? The royal blood of the tribe?" Without looking down, he pressed the blade harder into Sigrun's neck, causing her to still, but trembling softly all the same as she did.

"Mama..." She sniffled, her lithe arms and legs twitching. "Muh-Mama..." Sigmund kicked as hard as little legs could kick, but he might as well have been striking stonewall. Everyone watched in horror. Drago would have scooped him up and chucked him over the side of a cliff, but alas, his prosthetic couldn't move on his own and his only functioning arm was busy.

"Take me instead!" Came a random cry in the crowd. Everyone looked to the speaker with surprise. Gunnar, a local repairman had gotten to his feet and was looking at Drago, straight in the eyes. The villagers looked to him in amazement.

"N-No, me!" Came another cry, a friend of Gunnar's. Bjorn, the butcher.

"Don't be ridiculous, Bjorn!" Helga, Astrid's mother, yelled, and got up to her feet. "It's _me_ he shall take."

"Darling, Valhalla shall take **me** away, not you," joined Egil, softly grasping her arm.

"I'll do it!" Cried little Clamlegs, waving his arms and hopping up and down.

It was incredible and Drago was livid at the unexpected turn of events. He had meant to strike fear into the hearts of these people, exhibiting his ability to feel no mercy even to children, but as more rustics began to chime in and offer themselves for the twins, he realized that Sven wasn't the only one that would give up his life rather than enter the army. He needed to put an end to this.

"Bring that rat to me!" Drago roared, not unlike a dragon, and Sven was dragged to keep beside the twins. The conqueror removed his staff from Sigrun's neck, much to her relief as she lay stationary, and moved it so that he could slice Sven's throat to ribbons.

"Let this be an example for anyone who dares question the true conqueror of dragons!" Drago shouted. "Anyone? Hm? Who's next?!"

_"You're next, Bludvist!"_

Everyone jumped and regarded the murky sky.

No.

It couldn't be...

Could it?

"This time," roared a furious Hiccup as he approached on his hatchling, "you've gone _too far!"_

_..._Uh oh.

Drago had little time to respond when the future Chief of Berk swooped down and knocked him off his feet, scooping up an eager Sigrun AND Sigmund into his arms while the baby dragon hauled Sven to safety. Snotlout followed closely behind and managed to deliver a resounding smack to Drago's head right before he landed with a large thump, causing the crowd of Vikings to cheer. And that's when their Chief rode into view.

"It's Stoick!" Gunnar yelled to confirm everyone's hopes. "Why, they're all here!"

"Daddy?" Clamlegs cried hopefully, but his father was nowhere in sight, much to his dismay.

Hiccup? Stoick? Here? _Alive_?! Drago snarled, pounded his fist into the dirt, and lifted up his head with a heave, just in time to see that it was true, that indeed, the Chief had escaped death yet again.

Stoick the Vast gave a proud nod to his people and lit the area around them aflame, sending the soldiers scattering with fear. The fire died out fast, so the Vikings could escape.

"Grab your shields!" Stoick roared, hovering above the crowd. "Today we FIGHT! FIGHT for your FREEDOM! FIGHT FOR OUR DRAGONS!" His little speech was more than enough to ignite a major spark of passion within everyone, and they obeyed, hunting down the soldiers on the offensive to steal back any weapons they could find.

Drago struggled to pick himself up, especially when a child or two would rush by to kick his head, but he eventually managed to get his feet. Once inert, he watched with shock and rage as the original riders zoomed past, far too quick for his men to strike down, and that they had provided enough of a distraction for the two Bewilderbeasts to wander off with short tempered grumbles.

"No," he growled, throwing himself on one of tusks of the paler dragon. "No, no, no, no, no! Fight! Fight before they take them back!"

He was talking about the dragons of course, including the Nightfury, who had been prowling amongst the villagers just a moment ago and was now sitting dazed on his haunches and blinking rapidly. He murmured tiredly and watched about him in confusion as everyone gathered his or her weapons.

What was going on?

Hiccup had the children gathered in his arms with his eldest son following suit. Together they avoided an onslaught of arrows by climbing higher and higher into the clouds until they reached the peak of Berk where nothing could find them. (This was all after dropping off Sven, who thanked Hiccup profoundly).

With a resounding thump, he dropped the children into the snow and hopped off his hatchling to join them for a moment. The kids were absolutely ecstatic and were talking at once.

"Daddy, you came back-"

"OMT, that was wicked-"

"-and you saved us!"

"I can't believe you knocked "dreadlocks" over-"

"Guys!" Hiccup interrupted and signed the message to Sigmund. "Can I please speak?" The kids stood at attention and gave polite nods with their lips respectively sealed tight. "Thank you," he sighed. "Now this is very important for you to remember."

"Uh huh?"

"I need every single one of you to stay here. Daddy and Uncle Snotlout has to help our friends," he explained, shivering slightly.

"Huh?"

Snotlout gave a curt nod of confirmation.

Speaking of family... "Wha' 'bout mama-Where's mama?" Sigrun asked excitedly, eager to see her mother, as she had been to see her father.

Both adults stiffened, but Hiccup IV beat them to the punch, fervent to tell the tale. "She's hurt!" He informed them sadly, and the twins gasped.

"Mama's hurt?" Sigrun cried. "I don't want mama to be hurt!"

"She'll be okay though," assured the young boy, hugging Sigmund. "Really. It's just a scratch."

Sigrun's little face scrunched up. "That means it's BAD!" She howled, bursting into tears, and Hiccup III gathered her up in his arms.

"Sweetie, please. You have to listen to us," Snotlout decreed, getting to his knees. "We have a very important job to do and we need you to be safe."

"No!" Cried the young girl stubbornly. "I hate waiting!"

Hiccup knew that was coming, and luckily, a few stowaways solved the case. "That's why your dragons are here, silly!" He gestured to the triplets. Chaos had gotten Tickles and Mayhem to join the tiny squad and now they squawked playfully to try and cheer their human playmates up. "See? Now you won't get bored, okay?"

Sigrun considered this, wiping her runny nose with a shiver from the cold. "Okay," she croaked. "Come back soon though."

"Daddy will be right back," Hiccup promised with a beam. "You stay here and don't come down until I say so. That goes for all of you, understand?" He directed a serious withering gaze at his oldest with a raised eyebrow. Said eldest scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Yes," they all groaned, except for Sigmund, who signed it with a pouting face.

Hiccup swallowed hard. "Good." It now occurred to him that he might never see his children again, so he gathered them up and placed a kiss on each of their foreheads. "I love you all. Every single one of you," he murmured, nuzzling their hair. "I'll be right back. I promise."

Snotlout watched with a small grin and tried to pull his cousin away. "C'mon Hiccup," he whispered. "We have to go."

The young man sighed and reluctantly released his children before waving goodbye and mounting the baby dragons for a final time.

"Bye daddy!" Called Sigrun and Hiccup as he flew away, waving their little arms.

Their words echoed through his mind and gave Hiccup just the right amount of determination to nosedive down to the great Bewilderbeast and try to knock Drago off. Snotlout followed, albeit slower to bring up the fear in case something went wrong.

"C'mon," Hiccup seethed through his gritted teeth, the cold wind rushing through his long braided hair. And then he shouted having failed at first to come into contact with the man due to a flying projectile. He could have screamed. And he did. "C'mon!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, and Drago watched as the younger man made a full loop. "Fight me man to man! Stop hiding behind those dragons!"

Drago just chuckled with amusement, not failing to see the irony behind Hiccup's words. "I have nothing to prove to you, boy!" He shouted back with that horrible voice, and then thrust his spear, commanding the white Bewilderbeast to battle, while its twin followed in pursuit. "Come on!" He yelled over the sounds of battle. "Let's end this!"

Toothless went from a confused bumbling Nightfury to the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself in a matter of moments, as did the rest of the dragons, who hissed and turned his or her gazes toward Hiccup.

Snotlout was the only one who noticed, right before he was knocked off his dragon and he fell to the ground, whacking himself unconscious as he hit the ground with a thud. Hiccup was on his own.

...

On a nearby sea stack, Fishlegs tended to Astrid. He was being as gentle as he could as he tenderly changed her makeshift bandages around the bloody mass that used to be her womb. His own stomach lurched at the sight and had to empty its contents into the bushes several times before he gained the courage to do the job he never really wanted to do in the first place. And that was...

"I have to remove the baby," he whispered, tears clouding his vision. "Oh, Thor, give me strength."

"Humph..." Astrid shifted in her unconscious state and wriggled her fingers. Fishlegs blanched.

"Nope! No! Stay asleep, Astrid," he begged, for she would feel the full throttle of pain if she awoke from her deep slumber. "Please for the love of Freyja, do NOT wake up."

Freyja seemed to not have been listening at the time because Astrid yawned, gave a wriggle, and with Fishlegs watched on helplessly, opened her crusty azure eyes.

A moment passed. And then she screamed. Loudly.

The volume and abruptness of the scream alone caused Fishlegs to scream himself, tripping and falling backward over his own feet until he was a confused, stupid mess atop the sea stack.

Another scream, much more ragged than the first.

"Astrid! It's okay! It's okay!" Trembled Fishlegs's helpless plea, and he rushed to his feet. He pinned down her armored shoulders as she writhed with pain and he was able to hold her still, thanks to his strength. "You're gonna be okay!" He assured her, although he was not so sure himself. "Oh, Thor, what do I do?!" He inwardly whimpered. "She needs Gothi now!"

...

Meanwhile, things were doing quite well for the Berk residents. The soldiers were plentiful-about a thousand bull-headed hefty-set men and women compared to the measly 345 men, women, children, and elders, but the odds were severely against the opposition; thanks to Ruffnut and Tuffnut, the soldiers were being picked off by the hundreds.

It was difficult to regain control over Barf and Belch, but being the stubborn beasts that they were, after they had truly opened their eyes from the coaxing of their riders, they were able to resist the commands of the alphas.

As soon as the twins were sure that their dragons were safe, they flew off to cause as much mayhem as they possibly could as Hiccup instructed. Lighting ships, catapults, and enemies on fire, they sang battle songs together, called names, took bets, and screamed battle cries.

"Loki owns you ALL!" Tuffnut shouted as they took out a group of soldiers creeping up on some unsuspecting women. "Haha! My body count is dwindling no more, sister!"

"Amen to that, bro!" Ruffnut shouted in agreement. "Nor is mine! Now lets kick some barmy butt!" And off they went, careful to avoid the hissing entranced dragons and the Bewilderbeasts, but had no issue setting fire to buildings as their rampage went on. But who could expect more from the Thorston twins?

"I missed all this destruction!" Tuffnut exclaimed as they sent fireball barreling toward an enemy catapult. "We needed this!"

Ruffnut didn't respond, but steered her head in a separate direction, causing Tuffnut to nearly lose his seating. "Whoa! Whaddaya doin', butt-elf?" The woman sent a death glare to her sibling, but when they landed next to an unconscious figure, Tuffnut bit his tongue and immediately wished he hadn't said anything.

Eret, who'd been flying by, noticed the three and bit his lip before flying on. Hiccup had given him a job to do, and by the Gods, he was going to do it. "Let's go, Aguta," he whispered to his hatchling.

...

Hiccup had a pretty bad feeling brewing in the pit of the stomach after hearing the faint scream of Drago, "Let's end this now" that squelched out any bout of confidence he had up until then.

He and his hatchling were getting the hang of flying together as they shot straight up toward the clouds, and he had quickly decided to name it:

"Konge, sky!" Hiccup ordered, steering his dragon higher and higher until they had gone past the peak of the mountains. Looking to his children, he waved and they screamed with joy over his appearance. From there he looked down and gulped. If his sweaty hands slipped and he fell-

**Slam!**

Hiccup was _knocked_ from the little hatchling and for half a second, his heart stopped beating and he was in free-fall. In the distance, he heard a muffled _"DADDY!"_ And then sharp teeth pierced his right leg and he screamed in pain. Only then did he hear the sounds of beating wings and gnashing teeth, and his heart sank faster than he fell. Is this what Drago intended? For him not to fall to his death, but be torn apart by the creatures he loved the most?

It must have been, for a dragon's head slammed directly into his stomach, knocking the wind out of his system as he was sent in a different direction. A clubbed tail caught his backside and he screamed again, sound becoming a high pitched droning and his vision going white; all while these dragons were tossing him back and forth like-

**Slam.** A wing caught his throat.

**Bam.** Another tail caught his leg.

**Shear.** Teeth grazed every inch of his bruising body.

After a good few minutes of this, Hiccup was still in the air and being tossed around like a ragdoll. Villagers below and even the soldiers had stopped to watch, Berkians with horror and the army with amusement and laughter. Drago himself was enjoying the show quite a bit.

"Behold!" He shouted mockingly, flourishing his staff. "The great Dragon Conqueror!" The army screamed with laughter and whistles while the villagers hopped back into action with screams of rage, determined to infiltrate the core of this army and give their young heir the Justice he deserved.

...

Snotlout!" Ruffnut cried, throwing herself off her head and clamoring to get to the unconscious man. Tuffnut joined her and threw his helmet aside, gasping upon noticing the pool of blood surrounding Snotlout's helmet-less head. It must have gone misplaced during the fall. Nonetheless, they needed to get him out of there if he was to live.

Far away, Stoick and Gobber were doing quite some damage themselves. They'd made a habit of perching themselves on a catapult, much to the annoyance of the soldiers. And when they were about to attack, the dragons would squawk and blast tiny bits of fire at the catapults, rendering them useless.

They didn't notice Hiccup's misfortune.

...

Hiccup was falling unconscious due to the pain. That or he was dying. Either way he was sure that his family would be devastated and fight to the death to regain some honor back into the Haddock name.

**Slam.** A wing.

**Bam.** A tail.

_Whoosh_... Free fall.

For once, Hiccup didn't mind. Falling meant getting a break from the constant barrage of stoning reptiles. It meant less pain. Less of everything, really. But as he neared the ground, his resolve melted away and he began to panic. He couldn't die, n-not now!

Lucky for him, death was not what Drago intended for him quite yet. Moments before Hiccup would have become with the Earth, dragon talons caught him by the arms and dragged his lithe form back up higher. Hiccup moaned.

"Nuh-N-No...Not again...Please no..." He mumbled as the flapping of wings and the gnashing of teeth grew louder once more.

And the torture began again.

...

Fishlegs tended to a hysterical Astrid as best he could, and even wrapped up the little bundle of former life within some spare cloth that he hadn't used yet for her wound. Speaking of which...it was terrible.

There was a _hole_ in her stomach! What was he honestly supposed to do?!

"Take her to Gothi," Fishlegs decided, a bit breathlessly as he tried to calm his erratic nerves. "She's an injured warrior, is all. Take her to Gothi."

...

Hiccup's former reptilian counterparts threw him into the Great Hall without mercy. With a scream, he crashed through the giant double doors and slammed into the hearth in the center of the area (which was thankfully unlit). He collapsed to the floor with a thud and a moan, completely shrouded in darkness when the sliver of light made by the doors disappeared.

This was not going well. Not for him. His head was ringing and his entire body was aching. Not for Astrid. She was literally dying! And certainly not for poor Toothless. He was still under Drago's control. Oh, where was Snotlout when he was needed?!

Hiccup struggled with all his might to pull his abused form up to a sitting position, slumped against the stone of the hearth. Outside, he could hear the battle cries of his people, screams of pain from the dragons he loved, and the metallic clashing of weapons. He closed his eyes. Why did he think they could do this? They were completely unprepared, but they went for it anyway. Why? Well, they didn't want to see their childhood home go up in flames-or ice, obviously enough. But-

An eerie creeaaak grabbed his attention and his eyes flew open just in time to see the conqueror himself enter the Great Hall. Hiccup could only watch as the sliver of light blinded his eyes before being sucked back into darkness once more as the door closed shut.

And then there were two.

Hiccup sucked in a ragged breath of pain as he struggled to pick himself up. A sharp pain in his ribcage beckoned him to fold over on himself, and he wrapped a skinny arm around the area. "L-Leave," he moaned to the daunting figure.

Drago only shook his head with an amused smile and hobbled toward the young man, who glared. "Ge-Get out of here!" He barked. "Leave Berk alone!"

Drago answered not, but prowled forward like the madman that he was, and Hiccup felt a flicker of panic rise in his chest.

"Can't you see that you're losing more than you can afford by fighting us?" The Viking inquired, grasping the cold stone with his raw, bloody fingertips. "Is it even worth it?"

No answer, and Hiccup sighed, hunching over the hearth. "Can you not hear me?" He whispered.

This time, once he was but a mere few feet away from his intended destination, Drago answered, but it was not what Hiccup expected it to be. "I thought you mentioned us fighting man to man," came his guttural reminder, and the lad blanched as he remembered his careless diction.

Not wanting to get beaten to a bloody pulp, Hiccup needed to think of a way to dissuade this man. Fast. "Am I worth it, Bludvist?" He derailed. "One man?"

Drago, much to Hiccup's surprise, nodded. "Oh yes," he replied. "I hate to admit, but when you came flying in on that dragon, your people began to rally."

Hiccup blinked in confusion. "No..." He slowly denied. "You must be mistaken. My father is the one who has that effect on everyone, not me."

Drago smiled, showing off his yellowed teeth. "Ah, but it's you who is mistaken, boy. In the face of war, you are an icon that the people are waiting for, that they yearn to fight by. You...induce hope. Surely you've noticed."

Hiccup was at a loss for words. "Huh-Hope?"

"And if you've paid attention in warfare class, to win a war," Drago continued, brandishing his spear, "you need to snuff out the opposition's hope." He tapped the spear against a frozen Hiccup's chest. "What say you?"

"I-I..." Hiccup couldn't the words to describe how appalled he felt. He could feel the tip of the blade piercing his skin, through his tunic, and it frightened him terribly. He needed to think quickly, lest he wanted to die. But he didn't need to.

"Unless," Drago mused, removing the spear.

"U-Unless?" Hiccup stammered, moving a hand to run the sore area on his chest.

The conqueror smiled. "Unless you join me."

Hiccup took a start. "What?!"

"If not, have it your way," Drago shrugged. "But your people will become my slaves. Whichever you choose, loyalty or death, that is how it will end."

Hiccup slumped. "The Vikings of Berk will always fight," he whispered. "You're wrong."

"Am I?" Drago smirked, moving to the side. The movement caused Hiccup to warily glance up, and what he saw made him gasp, his eyes growing so wide that they hurt. A part of him wanted to scream and run, another wanted to stay and weep with joy. After all, it had been too long since he had seen his dragon.

"Toothless?" He exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. "Buddy!"

The Nightfury that had been hidden in the shadows this entire time seemed to be in worse shape than Hiccup was. All bruised and banged up, covered with cuts and gashes either inflicted by humans, dragons, or both, and his eyes glowing green with madness. "Oh, Toothless..." He was a mess, and although it had been the work of someone else, Hiccup couldn't help but feel utterly responsible for letting this all happen.

"Hey, Bud," he greeted softly, extending a shaking hand as the Nightfury prowled forward. Those beautiful made eyes had turned back into slits, indicating that outside somewhere, the alpha was still in control. Hiccup shook his head. He couldn't give up, no matter what the circumstances. "Come back to me."

Drago just laughed. "You cannot subdue the grasp of the alpha. But try, oh great dragon master. Try and take him." Hiccup caught a whiff of smoke trailing from between the Nightfury's lips, and he gulped. "He won't miss a second time."

Hiccup shook his head, trying to ignore Drago's mocking words coupled with the immense danger and focused on his best friend instead. Toothless needed him more than ever right now; he couldn't back down. He just couldn't! "Please," he whispered, his insides melting into white-hot slurry, as the beast appeared not to hear him. "Please come back to me."

No response, except for the slight growl escaping past Toothless's extracting teeth. Hiccup felt his heart drop and the hair on the back of his neck stand up on end. In truth, he was frightened and ashamed to be, of his best friend. It was hard not to be though he knew that it wasn't the real Toothless stalking him, but a grim substitute that Drago had created.

"Please," Hiccup said again, and as the Nightfury approached, he gained the courage to place a hand on his forehead, caressing the leathery scales. Drago raised his eyebrows at the bold move. He had been presuming the Nightfury to bite off the boy's hand, but instead, it just stood there panting and chuffing.

"I won't let you go," Hiccup whispered, pressing his own forehead against the scales. The touch was electric; the dragon's pupils and mind responded indifferently to the soft, delicate contact created by the loyal, persistent human.

Drago furrowed his eyes. "What are you-?"

Toothless chuffed; the slits of his eyes slightly expanded and contracted and it caused Hiccup's heart to soar. It was working!

Drago was concerned, looking back and forth between Viking and dragon in awe. "How are you _doing_ that?" He asked, moving forward.

Hiccup paid no attention to him and placed another hand beneath the dragon's chin. "You are my_ best friend_, Bud." The pupils expanded and contracted, evident of the internal battle Toothless was fighting to regain his will. Somehow, Hiccup's words were encouraging his will to fight back against the authority of the alpha, and regain control over his own being. And it was working!

Hiccup breathed in and said it one last time, tone loving and kind, "_My best friend_..."

Toothless jerked his head away from the human and shook it rapidly, his ear flaps shaking, his teeth sheathing, his pupils expanding for the last time, and the sweetest dragony smile in the world taking the place of the hideous snarl his muzzle once adorned. Speaking of smiles, a huge one overtook the entirety of Hiccup's face when he realized that his buddy had come back to him. "That's it, Bud! Come on back!"

Drago knew that he had waited too long, and a rush of fury flooded his veins. "No!" He shouted, bashing the rehabilitated dragon on the head with his staff, once, twi- Toothless, irate as could be, unsheathed his teeth and tore the staff from Drago's hands.

...

Fishlegs had no choice. Astrid needed Gothi. And if Gothi was on a war-torn island of misery, then that's where they were going, unfortunately.

With the woman in his arms, Fishlegs climbed atop the hatchling and stared at the war-torn island in the distance. He let out a miserable sigh but steered the hatchling in the right direction. "Here goes nothiiiiiiiii-!" He cried when the baby dragon leapt from the sea stack.

"C-C-Careful!" He shouted at the hatchling, wrapping his large arm around the neck of the dragon, the other clutching a sobbing Astrid like a vice. They were both being shaken beyond comfort. "G-Go a little slower, please!" He stuttered, but the baby refused to comply as it did not listen to anyone, and flapped its wings ever harder to join its siblings on Berk.

And Berk, well, it was a sight for Fishlegs to see. Dotted with enemy soldiers and familiar Vikings, the isle was shrouded with smoke and many flocks of dragons by which Drago had taken control of, creating a spectacularly colorful but deadly view. The hefty-set man closed his hazel eyes and sent a silent prayer to the Gods, begging for his life to be spared as the baby dragon began its descent.

"Whooaaaaaaa-carefulcarefulcarefulcareful!" Fishlegs shrieked as they flew through a battle zone, narrowly missing flying spears, arrows, sheep, and other projectiles. "EIIIIIIIIIII-GOTHI!" There she was!

Hiccup wasn't the only one to pull Toothless from the dark hold of the alphas; other Berkians had figured out the problem as well and were determined to solve it. Instead of forcing themselves to kill their own pets, Vikings set down their weapons and coaxed that loving instinct to come out of hiding, pulling the dragons away from Drago's command.

So as more and more people were taking their dragons, it became apparent to both sides that they were no longer on the defensive. With their recently altered pets, they flew at the enemy, brandishing weapons and fire as they sped. Even Gothi was getting in on the action, sending her aggressive yet homey Terrible Terrors a-flying and beating anyone on the head with her staff if she could. She was a tough old bird, and truth be told, she was beginning to enjoy herself-by protecting her home of course-until a certain someone came flying up to her with an injured warrior in hand.

"G-Gothi!" Fishlegs gasped. "Thank goodness I found you! Oh, Thor, it was terrible! It was awful! It was diabolical!" The old woman gaped at the young female in his arms and bonked him on the head with her staff, silencing his idiotic rambling. "R-Right, right. Sorry. Let's get to your h—WHAT IN THE NAME OF MIGHTY ODIN?!"

His outburst had been perfectly understandable, for who else would undermine the sight of Drago bursting from the Great Hall with Hiccup flying close behind on Toothless? Fishlegs certainly didn't expect it, and neither did anyone else. But he couldn't focus on that just yet.

"Okay, that was awesome and weird. C'mon Gothi," he whispered, and with the old woman in tow, they made it up to her hut, where Astrid was placed so that she could be healed. Gothi got to work right away, ignoring the rattling of her home as the battle continued, removing the makeshift bandages, dotting the sound with alcohol which caused Astrid to whimper and shift in her once again unconscious state, scooping away as much puss as was visible, and then replacing the makeshift bandages with real ones, wrapping them as tight as they would go.

Fishlegs sorrowfully watched the woman work her magic, standing in the corner with something in his hands. Something bloody. Something wrapped in cloth. The baby. He wasn't sure what would come out of showing the healer, but he felt like it had to be done, for the sake of the former living being.

"Gothi," he whispered, ignoring the blasts of outside. Somehow, the old woman hear him and glanced in his general direction, her brow furrowing when she caught sight of the tiny bundle. Without hesitating, she hobbled forward. Fishlegs caught her drift and kneeled on one knee, extending the bundle as she hovered her soft, wrinkled hand over it.

A moment of silence shrouded the area, and Fishlegs could feel tears prickling at his eyes. "Will...Will Astrid ever...?"

Gothi shook her head before he could finish, sending a pitiful glance at the motionless woman on the cot. Fishlegs closed his eyes, tears finally escaping. So that was it then. Gothi had made it quite clear that there would be no babies coming out of that young Valkyrie alive, which meant that this babe was the end of the Haddock expansion.

"Boy or girl?" He asked softly, wanting as much information as he could so that he could inform his poor friends.

Gothi reached up and tugged at his hair.

Boy.

Fishlegs closed his eyes again and handed the tiny bundle to Gothi when she beckoned for it. She cradled it gently, sending a silent prayer to the Gods. She believed that a proper burial was needed for this baby. He deserved to be sent into Valhalla like any other child would.

Child.

Wait…

"Clamlegs?" He gasped, rushing to the entrance of the hut, staring at the chaos in horror, knowing that his son was in the middle of it. Without acknowledging Gothi, he sprinted out of the hut, down the steep wall of stairs, and into the battlefield without a second thought.

"CLAMLEGS!" He shrieked as a spear whizzed past his nose, causing him to squeal. "W-Where are you, son?!" Gods, if he was hurt, o-or _dead_-

"He's with the other children!" Came Stoick's familiar voice, and Fishlegs spun around to see the Chief circling above him on his dragon. "I took care of him and Snotlout too! Don't worry!"

Fishlegs gaped as the man sped off. Did Stoick posses wizardry in the tips of his fingers and nobody ever knew?

...

It was a beautiful victory and Hiccup was ecstatic. Not only had he helped Toothless finally escape the Helheim that was the alpha's command, which was really Drago's command to begin with, but he'd also managed to toss Drago's behind out the double doors like the trash he was. And now atop the staircase of the Great Hall, looking quite regal indeed, Hiccup smiled as his people began to cheer. He patted Toothless's head and whispered, "Ready to end this, Bud?" If the dragon could speak, he would have thoroughly agreed.

Together they leapt from the stairs and glided their way down, avoiding as many projectiles as possible by performing extremely difficult acrobatics, and once they reached the fallen Drago, Hiccup picked up a nearby sword and flung it at his adversary.

Drago screamed as the blade sliced into the dark skin of his hand and glared daggers at his opponent, he strolled on over to him with a disapproving complexion. "It's all over now, Bludvist. Surrender now."

Not one to be taken down so easily, the conqueror clenched his fists, grit his teeth, and forced himself to stand. When he did, however, Toothless growled warningly, preventing him from making any wrong moves to harm the rider. Drago heaved, and watched as his loyal Bewilderbeast, the one made up of ash and smoke, moved in to kill.

He almost smiled. This was how it would end! His alpha would encase the boy's body with ice and end this silly rally. With him dead, the Nightfury would fall back under his control, and he could work his way back up to regain control of all the other dragons too. "Or is it?" He sneered.

Unfortunately, not all went his way.

The King of the Sanctuary seemed to appear out of nowhere from his protective shell and _attacked_ its twin. Hiccup turned around to face the commotion and was just as surprised as Drago to see the two of them dueling—too close for comfort in his opinion.

"C'mon, let's help, Bud," he stated, and Toothless complied, rocketing toward the sky.

Openmouthed, Drago watched them go, and it was only then that he realized he had lost control. His staff was gone (lost from his pratfall) and now the flocks were turning against his army. "No," he growled softly and then louder. "NO!" He barked, sprinting toward the two alphas. "FIGHT BACK! WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH-?" He stopped, realizing he had drawn the negative attention from the two beasts—and neither of them looked quite happy with him.

Dread. That consumed his body until there was nothing left. He backed away a few feet and stared. In the sky, he came across the tiny dot that was Hiccup and Toothless between the two alphas. Hiccup was shouting—and THERE was his staff!

In Hiccup's lithe hand was the weapon Drago had been using to control the beasts, and now Hiccup was brandishing it as it he owned it. The two men distantly locked eyes and Hiccup almost sneered. He mouthed something Drago could not read, and then ice was barreling toward at lighting speed.

"No..."

Thank goodness nobody was near the conqueror, or they would have frozen on the spot. He ran. He ran like mad, past his dead soldiers, past the grinning Vikings, and past the dragons that had regained their will, including the alphas. They were all watching him, knowing that he wasn't about to conquer Berk anytime soon.

And for the first time since the battle had begun, Drago felt utterly helpless. He crumpled to the ground, having tripped on a charred body and then faced his enemy, who'd flown to land before him. Hiccup… He growled.

The young man dismounted his dragon, and with the whole world behind him, took a few steps toward the older trembling man. He stopped, curled his lip, and then flung his hand to gesture to the mass of living beings behind him. "Now do you get it?!" He exclaimed. "This is what it is to gain a dragon's loyalty. Let this end. Surrender now."

Drago just stared, eyes flickering rapidly. He seemed to be losing his mind. "N-Never!" He gasped out, inhaling and exhaling much to quickly. "I can still conquer this land. I can still—" He stopped, catching sight of a familiar figure no more than a few yards away.

"ERET!" He yelled. "Kill him!"

The young adult flinched at the sound of his name coming out of the mouth of that villain, but stood his ground. "No," he simply replied. "You do not own me anymore. This mark means less than nothing." Beside him, Stoick put a hand on his shoulder.

"Good answer, son," he assured the man, and Eret smiled nervously in return. He wasn't used to praise.

Confident that he wasn't going to be assassinated, Hiccup moved forward and knelt down to his adversary's level. Staring deep into his eyes, Hiccup said softly, "Drago, it's over."

"N-…" Drago stopped, looing wildly round him. There must be _something_! Anything! A sword nearby! A rock! Embers! No…nothing… Drago's heart dropped into the deep pits of his stomach and he sighed under his breath, head bowing in final surrender.

...

_Epilogue_-

"Hey, it's okay boy..."

A gentle touch, a wary croon was the response. The war had been hard for everyone on Berk. The population had literally been cut in half.

"You must be Vänoss..."

So many were injured, and the dragons had been scarred forever. Gothi couldn't take care of everyone, so they had to learn to heal themselves.

"My son told me about you, you know."

The island had been reduced to rubble, not a single building left standing. But they were Vikings. They would tough it out in the Great Hall.

"You miss her."

The owl-faced dragon blinked up at the Viking and moaned sadly, motionless, stuck forever, circled around his human friend.

"Mind if I get a look at her, Bud?" Smiled the human. "She was my mother, after all."

The dragon chuffed and inhaled Hiccup's scent. "_Ah... Her offspring_..." The dragon thought sorrowfully. He gave a small lick to Hiccup's hair, causing

him to laugh. "_She will forever haunt me_."

Nobody but Hiccup could send the Bewilderbeasts on their way, back to freedom, since he had not the staff but the gift to guide dragons to do what he wanted.

Kneeling down after Vänoss had shuffled out of the way, Hiccup sucked in a breath at the sight of a familiar pile of bones.

His mother.

Hiccup pursed his lips. "Hi Mom," he softly began. "I..." He trailed off, unsure of what to say. "Things have been pretty rough lately, but I'm hoping everybody's help we can fix the things that have crumbled. Hopefully some jail time will straighten Drago out."

There was no response, of course, but he talked on.

"Dad's crowning me Chief today, did you know that? He thinks it's time, but I don't know if I'm ready or not." He paused. "Then again, I've had four kids, so what's 100 more people to take care of?" He gave a small chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm convinced that he's crowning me so soon because he wants to send you out to sea. Don't expect very many visitors...or me."

Vänoss watched the human communicate and laid his head onto the soft grass, listening quietly to that and the soft sloshing of distant waterfalls of the now empty sanctuary. It had been empty for a long time, and now only he remained.

"Hiccup?" Came Astrid's voice, and a gentle hand rested upon his shoulder. "It's time to go. The kids are missing us."

"In a minute, Astrid," Hiccup replied with a smile, kissing her cheek gently. "I just need to say goodbye."

She nodded with a smile and then limped away, not quite fully recovered.

For a while, he just gazed at the skeleton and wondered, wonder what it would have been like to have a mother in his life. From the day he was born to the moment his wedding had commenced back when he was fourteen. What if she had been there? What advice would she have given him?

"You were never there for me, Mom," he mumbled, rubbing at his eyes with a sigh. "And honestly sometimes I wonder if I should even call you that. You didn't raise me. You left my dad alone to do it."

No answer, just as it had always been when he was young, when he sobbed, begged, and prayed for his mother to answer his cries. "Snotlout says I shouldn't be so harsh, but you were just his aunt, not his mother, and there is a difference, believe me."

He sighed. "I just wish that there had been a verbal connection between us, because it looks like we shared similar interests. I think we could've gotten along really well."

The dark, hollow eye sockets had no voice, and they stared back at him emptily.

Hiccup stared back, and then, "Take care of my son for me, Mom. If you're up there in Valhalla, then my boy's up there with you. Take care of him till I get up there, okay?"

He closed his eyes when they grew hot. It had been three months. Three months and he knew that the hurt would never go away. It was relentless and tore at his mind and heart. For the longest time, he contemplated...no.

"It's hard to forgive," he muttered. "If you were anything like me, then you of all people should understand that. I'm sure you forgave dad for killing dragons, but... I need to forgive you. If I don't forgive, I'll carry this-this baggage of memories of the wrong, of negative feelings, of anger and unresolved emotions. And let's face it: I never do well with those."

"..."

"But I forgive you, Mom. I do." Hiccup stood still for a moment, almost rooted to the spot, until he got to his feet, er, foot, and gave one last long look at the owl-faced dragon, and her. "Take care of her until my dad arrives," he told the dragon, with a monotone voice. Vänoss gave a huff and moved back to his spot, curled around the skeleton like a mother dragon would do with her hatchling.

Hiccup gave a curt nod and then left, not looking back. As he descended the ledge, his heart grew heavy, and tears began to build up behind the back of his eyes.

"Hiccup?" Whispered Astrid as she caught up with him. "Are you alright?"

Hiccup shook his head and gave her his best smile. "She's going to take care of our son in Valhalla, Astrid."

The girl raised an eyebrow at the odd comment, and then sighed. "She'd better do a good job," she warned. "Or I'll come back to haunt her."

Hiccup burst out laughing. "That doesn't make any sense!" He chortled, and his wife rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she grumped, hitting his shoulder in retaliation. And when he wouldn't stop laughing, she added, "Do you have everything we need?"

Hiccup wiped a tear away and nodded, grinning goofily as the woman pouted. "Let's go."

They had a family to get back to.

The End


End file.
